On June 5, 2026, Chief Judge John McConnell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island struck down a series of Trump administration policies that had effectively halted the processing of immigration applications for individuals from 39 countries. The ruling, issued in the case Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island et al. v. USCIS, requires USCIS to resume adjudication of stalled cases across all benefit categories. If you represent clients from the affected countries with pending applications, this ruling directly impacts your immediate filing and case-management strategy.
What changed
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) directives had indefinitely suspended the processing of immigration benefit applications for nationals of 39 countries designated under the president’s expanded travel ban. Over the course of the last year, the Trump Administration released numerous policies – often in response to dramatic news events – that directed USCIS to stop adjudicating cases from 39 countries (concentrated in Southwest Asia, Africa, and South America) on the basis of supposed security concerns. These policies impacted everything from temporary status visa petitions to green card applications, throwing thousands of people into a protracted period of uncertainty and limbo.
Judge McConnell ruled that “each of the Challenged Policies that USCIS enacted—the Benefits Hold Policy, the Global Asylum Hold Policy, the Comprehensive Re-Review Policy, and the Country-Specific Factors Policy—are declared unlawful.” In the 35-page memorandum and order, Judge McConnell said that these policies “threw the lives of countless immigrants living in the United States into indeterminate legal limbo.” As a result, USCIS must resume or begin processing green cards, including EB-5 visas, work permits, asylum determinations, and naturalization applications, for nationals of these countries without discrimination based on nationality.
The countries impacted are Afghanistan, Burma, Laos, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Judge McConnell found that USCIS acted unlawfully on multiple grounds under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA): claiming statutory authority it does not possess, issuing decisions without the required reasoned explanations, failing to account for applicants’ reliance interests, and using pretextual national security justifications to mask anti-immigrant policy preferences.
Why it matters
For months, USCIS held cases in administrative limbo based solely on country of birth, without reasoned explanation, statutory authority, or regard for applicants’ reliance interests. The freeze affected asylum seekers already in the U.S., green card applicants, employment-based visa holders, work permit applicants, and people seeking naturalization. Many had met all eligibility requirements but remained locked out of adjudication.
The order affects people already living in the United States, not asylum seekers stopped at the border. This is critical: the freeze did not affect affirmative asylum claims filed at USCIS for people already in-country, but the judge’s ruling orders USCIS to resume processing asylum determinations, work authorizations, and other benefits for nationals of the 39 countries.
The ruling does not cancel the travel ban; it only affects the USCIS processing freezes affecting nationals from these countries already in the United States. In plain terms: the consular travel restrictions remain in place, but the domestic processing freeze is void. Pending I-485s (adjustment of status), I-140s, I-485J filings, I-131 work permits, I-539 extensions, N-400 naturalizations, and I-360 immigrant petitions can now move forward.
The court rejected the government’s justification that broad delays serve national security. The ruling is immediately effective and binding on USCIS.
Way forward
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Docket stalled cases. If you have clients from the 39 countries with pending applications filed before the freeze, prepare status update requests or administrative appeals to move those cases out of queue. USCIS must now adjudicate them.
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Monitor RFEs and denials. Watch for USCIS responses to clients’ cases over the next 30–90 days. The agency may pivot to case-by-case denials on alternative grounds rather than blanket freezes. Preserve the record if you see discriminatory treatment.
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Expect an appeal. This timeframe depends on how long the U.S. government delays enforcement of the court ruling, as it is expected to challenge the decision and may seek a pause pending the outcome of the appeal. Stay alert for a government motion for stay pending appeal, which could temporarily freeze cases again.
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Advise clients of unresolved travel risk. The ruling lifts the domestic processing freeze but does not restore consular processing or visa availability for nationals of the 39 countries. Clients seeking to return to a designated country risk being unable to re-enter the U.S.
Disclaimer
This article is provided for informational purposes by Fola, a software company, and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration policy and court orders change without notice. You must consult a licensed immigration attorney to understand how this ruling applies to a specific client’s case. Verify all information against the primary source linked above and monitor the District of Rhode Island docket for any government appeal or stay motion. Neither Fola nor this article assumes liability for reliance on this information.