The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds today to a federal judge temporarily halting Trump administration policy allowing state and local governments to block refugees.

Jennifer Sime, Senior Vice President of Resettlement, Asylum, and Integration at the International Rescue Committee, said: “The decision to temporarily halt the Trump Administration’s policy allowing local and state governments to block refugee resettlement is welcomed by the IRC – and by the refugees we serve, families who desire reunification, and the communities which are eager to welcome them. The ruling recognizes that this harmful and unnecessary administration policy would have further burdened refugees granted the opportunity to rebuild their lives in the United States, and contribute positively to our communities. It further recognizes that the government did not have legal grounds to delegate resettlement decisions to states, and to cities.”