Exodus Refugee Immigration, Inc. v. Pence

Dist. Ct. did not err in granting plaintiff’s motion for issuance of preliminary injunction in action seeking reimbursement from defendant-State for services provided to Syrian refugees under federal resettlement plan. Under section 1522(a)(5) of Refugee Act, defendant could not refuse to provide services to refugees based on their nationality, and record showed that defendant had violated section 1522(a)(5) by refusing to pay for services provided to any refugee whose country of origin was Syria. Ct. rejected defendant’s claim that instant denial was not based on nationality, but rather was based on compelling interest in protecting its citizens from threat of terrorists posing as refugees.