A federal judge has struck down a series of immigration policies adopted under U.S. President Donald Trump that halted the processing of asylum, work permit, green card and citizenship applications for people from 39 countries, ruling that the measures were unlawful and left immigrants trapped in prolonged uncertainty.
Chief U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island said the policies, implemented by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), effectively prevented applicants from receiving decisions on immigration benefits solely because of their countries of birth.
In his ruling, McConnell said the restrictions placed immigrants from dozens of countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America in “indeterminate legal limbo”.
The judge found that USCIS lacked the statutory and regulatory authority to impose the measures and concluded that the agency had relied on considerations influenced by “anti-immigrant sentiments”.
According to the ruling, many affected individuals had complied with existing legal immigration procedures but remained unable to obtain decisions on applications for months.
McConnell also rejected the administration’s justification that the restrictions were necessary for national security, describing those concerns as a pretext for broader discriminatory measures.
He wrote that the delays arose not because of any wrongdoing by applicants but solely because of the circumstances of their birth.
The decision followed a lawsuit filed in March by a coalition of immigrant service organizations and labor unions challenging the USCIS policies.
The restrictions were introduced after the November 2025 shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., an attack prosecutors say was carried out by an Afghan immigrant.
Following the incident, Trump pledged to tighten immigration controls and expanded full or partial travel restrictions to cover 39 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Haiti, Somalia, Venezuela and Syria.
The administration argued that the measures were necessary for security and vetting purposes.
Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, which represented the plaintiffs, welcomed the ruling, saying it reaffirmed that the federal government cannot close lawful immigration pathways or discriminate based on national origin.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately comment on the decision.