Judge strikes down Trump bar on asylum, visa processing for 39 countries

A federal judge has overturned broad restrictions implemented by the Trump administration that halted immigration processing for citizens of 39 countries. District Judge John McConnell ruled that the policy, enacted in November 2025, trapped immigrants in an "indeterminate legal limbo" by preventing final decisions on asylum, green cards, work permits, and citizenship applications. McConnell stated the restrictions were motivated by "anti-immigrant sentiment" rather than legitimate national security concerns, as USCIS claimed. He found that the hold on adjudications was based solely on an individual's country of origin, leaving many without work or legal status for over six months. The affected countries are primarily located in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

A US federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully barred applicants from 39 countries from receiving decisions on immigration benefits. Chief US District Judge John McConnell in Providence, Rhode Island, found that US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) implemented unlawful policies targeting individuals from these nations. The lawsuit, filed by immigrant service organizations and labor unions, challenged policies that placed a hold on processing applications for asylum, work permits, green cards, and citizenship. These measures, implemented starting in November, affected people from countries subject to Trump's travel bans, which were justified on vetting and security grounds. Judge McConnell stated these policies created indeterminate legal limbo for many immigrants.

A federal judge in Boston has struck down a Trump administration immigration policy that made it harder for immigrants from 39 countries to obtain immigration benefits. U.S. District Chief Judge John McConnell Jr. ruled that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) acted unlawfully and arbitrarily in enacting the policy, which was implemented after the shooting of two National Guard members. The policy had "categorically barred" immigrants from African, Asian, Latin American, and Middle Eastern countries from receiving final decisions on applications for asylum, work permits, green cards, and citizenship. The judge criticized USCIS for exceeding its authority and ignoring the law, stating the policy caused "indeterminate legal limbo" for countless immigrants. Democracy Forward, which represented the plaintiffs, stated the ruling upholds the principle that the government cannot discriminate based on national origin.