On February 10, the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) filed a lawsuit in the Western District of Washington challenging President Donald Trump's January 20 executive order suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). On February 25, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction, forcing the government to recommence USRAP processing.
In the weeks following the injunction, Afghan USRAP applicants at processing hubs around the world have still been forbidden from departing for the U.S. A single Afghan USRAP applicant and her family have skirted the prohibition, however, thanks to a workaround that advocates see as a method for other well-vetted, travel-ready refugees to follow in their path.
