On Wednesday, Michigan Attorney Dana Nessel joined a coalition of 19 state attorneys general in filing an amicus brief challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order suspending the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program.
The AGs oppose the Trump Administration’s attempt to withhold congressionally appropriated funding for refugee processing and services.
Trump’s Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program executive order indefinitely suspends refugee admissions and application processing, which Nessel and the coalition argue contradicts federal law, according to a news release.
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When issuing the order, Trump argued that the U.S. “lacks the ability” to absorb refugees “in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans” and protects their security and safety.
Trump campaigned on stopping the influx of illegal immigrants and refugees entering the country.
Trump lowered the cap on refugee arrivals during his first administration. The number of refugees and immigrants in the Special Immigrant Visa program who resettled in Michigan rose again during the Biden administration, which resettled over 100,000 nationally last fiscal year, The Detroit News reported.
“Biden’s disastrous policies led to an immigration crisis,” said Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Bruce Township, chair of the House Republican Conference.
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“I think this is the right move by President Trump. The pause will help ensure this program is secure, effective, sustainable and, most importantly, protecting Americans.”
The Detroit News reported in December 2023 that refugees and asylum-seekers were overwhelming Michigan shelters, as state officials projected a 40% increase in refugees in Michigan in 2024.
In another report, residents in the town of Logansport, Ind., also said that an influx of migrants from Haiti and other countries has overwhelmed services, from housing to schools to other social services.
“It’s just overrun. We don’t have space for everybody, so the housing has been taken over and our schools have been taken over; pretty much the whole town has been taken over,” resident Candice Espinoza told FOX News.
In recent weeks, news outlets have reported that the freeze in federal funding sent “shockwaves” through Michigan’s resettlement community, disrupting support services for refugees.
A stop-work order from the U.S. Department of State directed private resettlement agencies not to incur any new costs to provide basic necessities to refugees during their first 90 days living in the United States, The Detroit News reports.
Michigan ranks among the top 10 states nationally for refugee resettlements, and the state was expecting up to 4,580 refugee arrivals during fiscal year 2025 before the Trump administration last week stopped new refugee admissions.
Trump’s order has paused refugee programs and services provided by several Michigan faith-based organizations, Bridge Michigan reported. More than 1,000 refugees arrived in Michigan before the resettlement program was suspended
The attorneys general claim that Trump’s EO “harms states, refugee communities, and the country’s longstanding commitment to welcome refugees escaping humanitarian crises in their homelands.” Attorneys General in several states also filed a lawsuit to block Trump’s end to birthright citizenship.
The amicus brief filed by Nessel and the coalition of states supports a request for a preliminary injunction filed by a group of impacted refugees and refugee-serving agencies.
Nessel said refugees who resettle in the United States are legally authorized to work and make significant economic contributions. In Michigan alone, refugees paid $217.9 million in state and local taxes in 2022 and contributed $1.9 billion to the state’s economy, according to the release.
“This illegal executive order is antithetical to what our nation was founded on,” Nessel said. “From Afghans who risked their lives helping our troops overseas to families fleeing floods, hurricanes, wars, and political violence, America has always been a refuge for those in need.”
Last week, three national and local refugee-serving agencies and nine individuals filed Pacito v. Trump, the first lawsuit challenging Trump’s EO.
The federal litigation, filed in the Western District of Washington, asks the court to declare the EO illegal, enjoin all implementation of the EO, and restore refugee-related funding, according to the International Refugee Assistance Project.