In a 135-page ruling, Obama-appointed judge John McConnell said despite following official visa processes, applicants had been “stuck waiting, for months on end, for benefit requests that USCIS refuses to adjudicate”.
“USCIS’s hold on adjudications cannot be attributed to anything that these individuals did wrong; rather, it arises solely by the happenstance of their birth,” he concluded.
The court held that USCIS, a branch of the Department of Homeland Security (DoS), had violated immigration laws enacted by Congress, leaving swathes of people from the 39 travel ban countries in “indeterminate legal limbo”.
The ruling differs from prior preliminary injunction wins, which generally limited relief to the named plaintiffs in the case. In this instance, however, the judge vacated the underlying policies, carrying a far broader impact.
McConnell’s decision marks a victory for a coalition of immigrant service organisations and labour unions that filed the case in March, challenging several USCIS policies that indefinitely suspended applications for visa changes and extensions for all travel ban nations.
The restrictive policies followed the shooting of two national Guardsmen in Washington DC by an Afghan national in November 2025, after which Trump vowed to “permanently pause” all migration from “third world countries”.
They included a nationwide hold on all asylum adjudications, a freeze on processing green cards, work permits and adjustment of status as well as a retroactive re-review of immigration benefits already granted to citizens of travel ban countries, among other measures.
The ruling comes as graduating international students from the 39 nations face risk of detention or deportation if their visas expire and they are left out of status after the 60-day grace period for F-1 visa holders to leave the country, obtain a new visa, transfer institutions or start work, which they can only do if USCIS resumes processing.
While USCIS must now resume adjudicating petitions and applications from travel ban nationals, experts have warned of prolonged delays and possible future pauses if the agency chooses to appeal the ruling.
USCIS’s hold on adjudications cannot be attributed to anything that these individuals did wrong; rather, it arises solely by the happenstance of their birth
John McConnell, United States District Court
Students, expressing fears of remaining in limbo, have been advised to contact university advisors and immigration attorneys on their individual situations.
More broadly, commentators have hailed the Rhode Island court decision a victory for immigrant communities and the rule of law.
“This ruling reaffirms a basic principle: the federal government cannot shut down lawful immigration pathways or discriminate against people based on where they come from,” said Democracy Forward CEO Skye Perryman.
“Our communities deserve a fair process government by law, not political targeting rooted in fear mongering and discrimination.”
The judgement came the same day the Senate approved a new $70 billion immigration enforcement bill ensuring ICE, Border Patrol and other federal agencies are funded for the remainder of Trump’s presidency.
DHS did not immediately respond to The PIE News’s request for comment.
