4th Circuit Affirms Blocking of Trump Executive Order on Refugees

Today, January 8, 2021, the US Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit affirmed the preliminary injunction of the Maryland US District Court blocking the President’s Executive Order 13,888 attempting to create an “opt-in” system requiring that both a state and a locality provide their affirmative consent before refugees will be resettled there, thereby substantially burdening and blocking the settlement of refugees to the United States as established by Congress. Upholding the preliminary injunction the Court stated:

“The refugee resettlement program by its nature impacts refugees
assigned to all nine resettlement agencies, which place refugees throughout the country. Enjoining the Order and Notice only as to the plaintiff resettlement agencies would cause inequitable treatment of refugees and undermine the very national consistency that the Refugee Act is designed to protect.”

The full decision is located at 201160.P.pdf (uscourts.gov)

Steffanie J. Lewis is a founding attorney, vice president and secretary of IBLF and, since 1999. She is counsel to several corporations, including an international trade association, an international foundation, an international computer demographic marketing corporation, a U.S. airline with international routes, an international artist & company, a national medical laboratory, a national self defense association, and numerous individuals with claims in products liability, aviation and real estate contract, medical malpractice, and numerous criminal offenses.

In addition to her corporate role, Ms. Lewis supervises all immigration work, representing clients in Immigration Court and multiple Federal circuits, most actively in the Fourth Circuit dealing with the immigration implications of fraud, criminal matters, due process, and statute interpretation.

Albert Z. Lewis is the managing attorney of the law firm, responsible for the administration, and service for the various technologies being used.

Mr. Lewis’s particular specialties are the electronic filing done with the USCIS, as well as through the ECF systems for the US District Courts, as well as EDGAR, the computer filing system for the US Securities and Exchange Commission. He also appears regularly in Immigration Court, supervises all aspects of family-related immigration filings, and has written numerous appeal briefs for immigration and other appeals. He has represented children and adults under the Criminal Justice Act, through programs at the DC Superior Criminal Court as well as the DC Counsel for Child Abuse and Neglect.