The International Refugee Assistance Project has announced a significant legal victory for Afghan allies. A US federal court has ordered the Trump administration to immediately resume processing Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applications for Afghans. This ruling challenges the indefinite pause that had left thousands of applicants in limbo despite their service to the US mission.
Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a strong ruling, stating that the indefinite ban on processing these visa requests violates both Congressional intent and existing court orders. The judge emphasized that the administration cannot arbitrarily halt a program designed to protect those who risked their lives, declaring the delay unlawful and unjust for waiting applicants.
Under this new mandate, the Trump administration is now obligated to establish a specific plan to clear the backlog. The court has directed that all SIV applications must be adjudicated in a “timely manner,” ensuring that eligible Afghans receive the decisions they have been waiting for without further unnecessary delays.
