The Kabul Tribune (KT) — The Council on American-Islamic Relations Washington said a U.S. court has allowed Afghan asylum-seeker cases to move forward despite a policy pause introduced during the administration of former President Donald Trump.
In a statement, CAIR-WA welcomed the decision by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, which permits the organization’s lawsuit to proceed without further delays.
CAIR-WA filed the lawsuit in July 2025 against the Department of Homeland Security on behalf of Afghan asylum seekers who had been waiting for years for decisions on their cases. The case seeks to compel the US Citizenship and Immigration Services to process the applications without further delay.
The U.S. government had previously sought to dismiss the case, citing a policy that paused applications from what it described as “high-risk countries” following violence linked to a December 2025 shooting incident in Washington, D.C.
After hearing oral arguments, the court issued its decision on April 24, 2026, rejecting most parts of the government’s motion to dismiss and allowing key claims to proceed.
CAIR-WA argued that the policy violates existing immigration laws and results in unlawful delays, as well as discriminatory restrictions affecting immigrants already residing in the United States.
Faiza Duale, Deputy Legal Director at CAIR-WA, said the ruling reinforces the principle that immigration authorities must follow established legal procedures when handling asylum applications.
She added that the decision marks an important step toward ensuring asylum seekers are treated fairly and that their cases are reviewed individually.
The court clarified that the ruling does not constitute a nationwide injunction but allows challenges to proceed under the Administrative Procedure Act, which could have broader implications for other affected applicants.
CAIR-WA said it will continue its legal efforts and plans to submit additional filings by the end of May 2026.
