A US federal judge has struck down policies implemented by the Donald Trump administration that froze immigration benefits, including Green Cards, work permits, and naturalisation, for foreign nationals from 39 countries last year. In his 135-page opinion, Chief Judge John McConnell of the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island ruled the sweeping limits expanding the POTUS’s so-called “travel ban list” unlawful on Friday (US time).
The measures were put into motion after two National Guard members were shot in Washington, DC. An Afghan man, who came to the US in 2021 and was granted asylum last year, was charged with the November 2025 deadly shooting.
Trump policies pausing legal immigration cases blocked in major ruling
As seen in the ruling documents, the US judge highlighted that immigrants impacted by Trump’s policies “filed the appropriate paperwork, paid the required filing fees, submitted to the requested biometrics collections, and attended the necessary in-person interviews.”
He also asserted that by enacting these immigration policies, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) claimed “statutory and regulatory authority” that it does not possess. Additionally, he flagged the decisions made without reasoned explanations, noting that USCIS “acts without regard for the reliance interests of applicants that it must consider; and justifies its actions with pretextual concerns of ‘national security’ that mask anti-immigrant sentiments that it is forbidden from letting influence its decision-making.”
The policies in question halted asylum adjudications while placing indefinite holds on immigration benefits for people from dozens of designated countries, mostly in Africa and Asia, whose citizens the Trump administration claims are too difficult to screen thoroughly.
The judge further wrote, “In ruling on these motions, the Court is reminded of a line often repeated in discussions around immigration policy: If people wish to immigrate to the United States, they ought to ‘follow the law’ and ‘do things the right way.’ This case serves as a perfect example of immigrants doing just that.”
“Indeed, the agency has violated the very immigration laws that Congress has charged it with administering, as well as the administrative laws that govern the agency’s actions.”
Friday’s ruling emerged as a significant setback for the Trump administration amid its continued campaign to curb even legal immigration pathways to the US. Contrary to previous injunction wins in other districts, which mostly offered temporary and limited relief to plaintiffs named in the respective cases, this week’s ruling directly targeted the government’s policies, leading to a broader impact.
Which policies were struck down?
Four USCIS policies were negated this week. Collectively referred to as the ‘Challenged Policies,’ these are: The Benefits Hold Policy, the Global Asylum Hold Policy, the Comprehensive Re-Review Policy, and the Country-Specific Factors Policy, according to US business immigration attorneys’ firm Reddy Neumann Brown PC.
The Benefits Hold Policy: Through this, adjudication of all immigration benefit requests, including adjustment of status, employment authorisation, and naturalisation, filed by nationals from 39 ‘travel ban’ countries was indefinitely put on hold.
The Global Asylum Hold Policy: This policy halted adjudication of all asylum and withholding of removal applications, irrespective of one’s country of origin.
The Comprehensive Re-Review Policy: Upon its execution, USCIS was pushed to re-review and reconsider benefit requests already approved for any person who came to the US on or after January 20. 2021, from a ‘travel ban’ country.
The Country-Specific Factors Policy: With an updated USCIS Policy Manual in place, officials were required to direct adjudicators to treat country-specific factors from the travel ban as a negative factor when weighing discretion in benefit adjudications.
Who was affected by the USCIS immigration benefits pause?
Nationals from 39 countries currently listed under the Trump administration’s travel ban were impacted in the process. Originally, the MAGA leader issued a proclamation in June 2025, which restricted the entry of nationals of 19 countries.
Late last year, the list was expanded to include a total of 39 countries (and individuals traveling on Palestinian Authority (PA)-issued travel documents). The expansion ultimately went into effect on January 1, 2026.
At the time, USCIS officials claimed the indefinite hold on immigration benefits for countries included in the “travel ban” was necessary for national security. Documents published on the US Congress website in December 2025 stated, “The proclamations have a stated policy goal of protecting U.S. citizens from foreign nationals ‘who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security and public safety, incite hate crimes, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes.'”
As per the updated proclamation, entries of immigrants and non-immigrants from the following 19 countries were branded as “fully suspended”: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
Meanwhile, the entry of nationals from 20 countries was listed as “partially suspended”: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, immigration, or tax advice. Immigration laws and government policies are subject to frequent change without notice. While we strive to provide accurate updates, readers are strongly advised to verify the latest requirements with the official embassy, consulate, or government portal of the respective country. Financial Express is not responsible for any decisions made based on this information. For personalised guidance, please consult a qualified immigration attorney or a certified professional advisor.