Federal judge partially lifts Trump ban on certain refugees

Dec. 23 (UPI) -- A federal judge in Seattle has partially lifted a ban on certain refugees imposed by the Trump administration.

On behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union and Jewish Family Service, U.S. District Judge James Robart on Saturday issued a ruling to halt the ban on refugees from some majority-Muslim nation.

The ban originally went into effect in October after President Trump issued an executive order reinstating the refugee program "with enhanced vetting capabilities."

Plaintiffs in the cases are refugees who "find themselves in dire circumstances, their family members who yearn to be reunited with them, and humanitarian organizations whose fundamental mission is to help these vulnerable refugees resettle in the United States," Robart said. "Plaintiffs in both cases present compelling circumstances of irreparable harm inflicted by the federal agencies' action at issue here."

Robart said the ruling does not apply to refugees who do not have a "bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States."