Trump travel ban ruling creates questions for refugees
The Supreme Court's decision Monday on President Trump's travel ban is creating more questions about how it will immediately impact refugees.
In its opinion, the court partially reinstated Mr. Trump's temporary prohibition on refugees from any country, using criteria similar to that used in the travel ban executive order. The effect on refugees could be greater because they are less likely to have family, school or business relationships in the United States.
In addition to the 90-day ban on travelers from Syria, Sudan, Yemen, Iran, Somalia and Libya, the executive order blocked refugees for 120 days and capped the number of those that will be accepted this year at 50,000. Neither the State Department nor Homeland Security has yet issued guidelines to refugee agencies on how to handle the Supreme Court stay of the lower courts' action stopping the implementation of the ban.
Hans Hogrefe, Refugees International director of programs, told CBS News' Margaret Brennan, "There has not been an interpretation as of yet of the 'bona fide' relationship."
He went on to say that he anticipated there would be be a formal directive from the secretary of state and secretary of DHS that would go "to all consular officers, resettlement support centers, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services" and that would require them "to verify any claims by an executive-order-covered individual that he or she has such a relationship to the U.S."
Lavinia Limon, CEO of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, told the Associated Press she was dismayed by the ruling, but insisted that her agency has "an existing relationship with incoming refugees, certified and arranged through the Department of State."
"Travel plans are in process, beds have been made and staff around the country plan to meet new Americans at the airports today, tomorrow and in the coming weeks and months," Limon said.
CBS News' Margaret Brennan contributed to this report.