Judge partially lifts Trump administration ban on refugees

SEATTLE (AP) – A federal judge in Seattle has partially lifted a Trump administration ban on certain refugees.

U.S. District Judge James Robart ruled Saturday for the American Civil Liberties Union and Jewish Family Service after they urged him to halt the ban on refugees from some mostly Muslim countries.

Robart ordered the federal government to process certain refugee applications. He says his order does not apply to refugees without a “bona fide” relationship to a person or an entity within the United States.

President Donald Trump restarted the refugee program in October “with enhanced vetting capabilities.”

It came after the heads of three U.S. agencies sent a memo to Trump saying certain refugees must be excluded unless additional security measures are implemented.

It applies to the families of refugees already living in the U.S. and all refugees from 11 countries.

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