On Friday, June 5, 2026, U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell overturned Trump administration policies that halted processing of any immigration application for citizens from 39 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and South America. The administration's policies led to a pause on processing for any USCIS benefit applications (including asylum applications), putting many pending cases in limbo and halting immigrant visa processing. 

In its decision, the Court stated that: 

the rule of law has to apply to everyone equally and, as evident here, USCIS has neither “followed the law” nor “done things the right way.”  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.  In enacting its latest immigration policies, USCIS: claims statutory and regulatory authority that it does not possess; makes decisions without the reasoned explanations that it must provide; 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.  In legal terms that means USCIS's actions are contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious.  

The decision found that four policies – the Benefits Hold Policy, the Global Asylum Hold Policy, the Comprehensive Re-Review Policy, and the Country-Specific Factors Policy – were all unlawful and could no longer be enforced. All policies were vacated.

At this time, we expect that the Trump Administration may ask for an emergency stay of the decision or issue new policies in light of the decision. Any updates will be posted to our Newswire as they are received.