Federal Court Strikes Down USCIS Benefit Freeze for Travel-Ban Countries
A federal court vacated four USCIS policies that had frozen green card, work permit, asylum, and citizenship cases for nationals of 39 travel-ban countries. Here's what the ruling does — and what it does not do.
On June 5, 2026, a federal court issued one of the most significant immigration rulings of the year. In *Dorcas Int'l Institute of Rhode Island v. USCIS*, Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island vacated four USCIS policies that had frozen the processing of immigration benefits for nationals of 39 countries on the travel-ban list.
What the court struck down
The court declared four USCIS policies unlawful and set them aside nationwide:
- The Global Asylum Hold policy
- The Benefits Hold policy
- The Comprehensive Re-Review policy
- The Country-Specific Factors policy (issued as Policy Alert PA-2025-26 in November 2025)
Together, these had paused or re-reviewed green card, work permit, asylum, and naturalization cases simply because the applicant came from a travel-ban country, and had directed officers to treat country of origin as a "significant negative factor."
What it means for people already in the U.S.
Because the policies were vacated, USCIS must resume normal processing of affected cases. Applications that were held solely because of the applicant's nationality should move forward, and USCIS may no longer weigh country of origin as an automatic negative factor in discretionary decisions. The relief applies to everyone affected — not only the groups that filed the lawsuit.
What the ruling does NOT do
This is the important part:
- It does not lift the travel ban's entry restrictions (Presidential Proclamation 10998, effective January 1, 2026).
- It does not restart the separate State Department pause on immigrant visa issuance at U.S. consulates abroad, which is being challenged in a different case.
- The government may appeal.
What you should do
If your green card, work permit, asylum, or citizenship case was paused because of your country of origin, this ruling means those holds were found unlawful and your case should move forward. Keep your filing current and watch for case updates.
This post is general information, not legal advice. Asal Immigration Services helps Columbus-area families prepare and organize their USCIS paperwork. Book a consultation to talk through your situation.
Source
This update summarizes information published by Dorcas Int'l Institute of R.I. v. USCIS (U.S. District Court, D.R.I.). Government rules, dates, and figures change—always confirm the current details on the official page.
Read the official Dorcas Int'l Institute of R.I. v. USCIS (U.S. District Court, D.R.I.) pageRelated
Asal Immigration Services is a document preparation service operated by Asal Multi-Services LLC. We are not attorneys and are not authorized to practice law. We do not provide legal advice, explanations, opinions, or recommendations about legal rights, remedies, defenses, options, or strategies. We assist with the preparation of immigration forms based on information you provide. For legal advice, consult a licensed immigration attorney.