A federal judge has struck down a Trump administration immigration policy that made it significantly more difficult for immigrants from dozens of countries to obtain immigration benefits or final decisions on their applications, ruling that the measures were unlawful and arbitrary.
In a sharply worded decision issued Friday, U.S. District Chief Judge John McConnell Jr. ruled that the policy left thousands of immigrants in prolonged legal uncertainty while exceeding the authority granted to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The judge said the agency had acted outside its statutory powers and failed to provide adequate legal justification for its actions. He further criticized the administration for citing national security concerns that, in his view, served as a pretext for discriminatory immigration policies.
McConnell wrote that the policy “threw the lives of countless immigrants living in the United States into indeterminate legal limbo” and concluded that USCIS’s actions were “contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious.”
The challenged policy was introduced after the shooting of two National Guard members and imposed additional restrictions on immigrants from 39 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Under the guidance, affected applicants were reportedly prevented from receiving final decisions on a wide range of immigration benefits, including asylum applications, work permits, green cards, and naturalization requests.
The ruling applies to cases handled by USCIS, the agency responsible for processing immigration benefits and citizenship applications. It does not affect asylum cases decided by immigration judges for migrants encountered at the U.S. border.
Because the court’s decision broadly blocks the policy, immigration attorneys say it could impact all pending USCIS cases involving applicants from the affected countries, rather than only the individuals who participated in the lawsuit.
The case was brought by immigrant advocacy organizations represented by Democracy Forward, which argued that the administration unlawfully shut down legal immigration pathways based on national origin.
Skye Perryman, the organization’s president and CEO, welcomed the decision, saying it reaffirmed that the federal government “cannot shut down lawful immigration pathways or discriminate against people based on where they come from.” She said the policy had left families, workers, asylum seekers, and communities unable to move forward with their lives.
The Trump administration defended the policy in court, arguing that Congress grants the executive branch broad authority over immigration and the admission of foreign nationals, including discretion over immigration benefits. Government attorneys contended that the guidance was intended to ensure consistent and individualized decision-making consistent with federal law.
Judge McConnell rejected those arguments, finding that the agency failed to adequately justify the policy and did not properly consider the reliance interests of applicants whose cases were delayed or effectively frozen.
Immigration organizations hailed the ruling as a significant legal victory. The American Immigration Lawyers Association said the decision helps ensure that lawful immigration pathways remain available and that USCIS fulfills its statutory responsibility to adjudicate applications.
The National Iranian American Council also welcomed the judgment, arguing that the administration cannot arbitrarily deny immigration benefits based on national origin. Meanwhile, the veteran-led coalition #AfghanEvac, which supports Afghan resettlement efforts, said the ruling offers relief to many applicants whose employment, education, travel plans, and path to U.S. citizenship had been stalled by the policy.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately comment on the ruling. The administration may choose to appeal the decision, but for now the court’s order blocks enforcement of the challenged policy and clears the way for affected immigration applications to proceed.
