Refugees who were slated to travel to the United States after a years-long and often cumbersome process have had their flights canceled, according to a State Department memo to resettlement partners obtained by CNN.

The decision leaves refugees who have completed a lengthy process stranded abroad and facing extended separation from loved ones already in the U.S.

The State Department has suspended flights bringing previously approved refugees to the United States, cutting off access to protection in advance of the timeline set by President Trump in a new