This week, a judge ruled that the US administration's travel ban does not apply to refugees who would otherwise qualify for resettlement.
The ruling is one of many that go against the administration's orders since President Donald Trump took office in January for a second term, in what refugee and immigrant advocates see as something of a vindication.
"The Court expects all parties to implement this framework in good faith, recognising that real families remain in limbo while these legal processes unfold. Delays in implementation mean continued separation from safety for some of the world's most vulnerable people," reads the order issued in the western district of Washington in Seattle on Sunday night.
The judge's order will help refugees from conflict zones, including Afghanistan, where many with ties to the US would face danger under the Taliban government.
"The court ruled that the travel ban did not excuse the government from processing and admitting refugees, rejecting the government's latest attempts to undermine the injunction. Our plaintiff Pacito safely resettled in the United States last week as a result of this lawsuit," Mevlüde Akay Alp, an attorney with the International Refugee Assistance Project, said in a statement shared with The New Arab.
The IRAP attorney emphasised that this order could lay the framework for additional refugees to receive the same opportunity for resettlement.
"We are thrilled for Pacito's family and hope this order will bring other stranded refugees closer to being welcomed in communities around the country," said Alp.
In another legal win for immigrant advocates this week, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals (covering Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania) ruled on Tuesday that the Department of Justice can’t unilaterally revoke someone’s green card, which gives a resident nearly equal rights to a citizen.
Though these rulings and similar ones are generally considered wins for immigrants and refugees, major obstacles remain for those going through the immigration process. Under the previous Trump administration, much of the State Department was gutted of staff, and many of those positions were not refilled under the Biden administration, creating major backlogs that continue until now.
Moreover, those who have gone through the immigration process, their status remains vulnerable. Trump has vowed to carry out the largest deportation programme in US history.