A federal judge on Friday struck down a series of executive actions by President Trump that effectively halted immigration processing for citizens of nearly 40 countries, a move that had thrown thousands of legal immigrants into bureaucratic limbo since last Thanksgiving.
U.S. District Judge John McConnell, based in Rhode Island, ruled that the policies—imposed after a deadly attack on National Guard members—violated federal immigration law and were arbitrary. The 135-page decision forces the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to resume adjudicating green card applications, asylum claims, and naturalization petitions from the 39 nations on Trump's travel ban list.
Judge Cites Rule of Law Violations
McConnell's ruling was sharply critical of the administration's approach. “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 wrote. The judge noted that the agency had “violated the very immigration laws that Congress has charged it with administering.”
The Trump administration had ordered a sweeping pause on all immigration benefits for citizens of the 39 countries in late November, just after the Thanksgiving holiday. That included halting green card approvals, canceling naturalization ceremonies, and freezing asylum claims from any nation. The president also demanded a review of all immigration benefits granted to those nationals under former President Biden.
Impact on Legal Immigrants
For immigrants who had followed legal procedures, the freeze created a cascade of problems. Many on time-limited visas faced the risk of overstaying their status while waiting for processing to resume. Thousands of Afghan allies, who had been promised refuge after serving alongside U.S. forces, saw their citizenship ceremonies abruptly canceled.
“For months, we have heard from Afghan allies whose citizenship ceremonies were canceled, work permits expired while waiting for decisions, green card applications stopped moving, and families were left in uncertainty despite doing everything the right way,” said Shawn VanDiver, president of #AfghanEvac, in a statement celebrating the ruling.
Legal and Political Repercussions
The decision is a major legal setback for Trump, who has made immigration restriction a cornerstone of his political brand. It also adds to a growing list of court rulings that have blocked or slowed his executive actions on immigration. The administration is expected to appeal, though the ruling immediately requires USCIS to schedule naturalization ceremonies for the thousands of immigrants on the cusp of citizenship.
McConnell’s opinion echoed a common refrain in immigration debates: that immigrants should “follow the law.” But he turned that argument against the administration. “The rule of law has to apply to everyone equally,” he wrote, “and as evident here, USCIS has neither ‘followed the law’ nor ‘done things the right way.’”
The ruling comes amid broader legal challenges to Trump's immigration policies, including an appeals panel’s skepticism of his White House authority in other cases. It also follows a period of heightened political tension over immigration, with Trump defending his economic record as markets slide and his administration pushing a series of hardline measures.
Immigration advocates hailed the decision as a victory for due process and for the thousands of families caught in the freeze. But they warned that the fight is far from over, as the administration may seek emergency stays or new executive orders to circumvent the ruling.
