If you or a family member has been waiting for a decision on an immigration benefit application — a green card, work permit, or asylum request — and come from one of nearly 40 countries affected by the U.S. travel ban, there is significant good news. In early June 2026, a federal court issued a landmark ruling ordering the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to stop the processing holds that had kept thousands of applications frozen. On June 12, 2026, USCIS announced it will comply with the court’s orders while the legal battle continues.
This development matters enormously for immigrants from affected countries who had been left waiting — in some cases for months — with no action on their cases. Understanding exactly what happened, what it means for your immigration case, and what steps you should take now can make a real difference in your outcome.
What Were the USCIS Processing Hold Policies?
Starting in early 2025, USCIS quietly put in place a series of policies that effectively froze immigration benefit applications for people from countries on the Trump administration’s travel ban list. These policies — formally known as PM 602-0192, PM 602-0194, and PA 2025-26 — covered a broad range of cases, including:
- Adjustment of Status (green card) applications filed by individuals from travel ban countries
- Asylum applications from affected nationals
- Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) and other work permits
- Naturalization petitions for eligible lawful permanent residents
- Family-based and business-based immigration benefits for applicants from designated countries
The policies did two harmful things. First, they placed an outright processing hold on new applications from individuals from these countries — meaning USCIS simply set them aside and took no action. Second, they directed USCIS officers to treat an applicant’s national origin (being from a travel ban country) as a negative factor when deciding whether to approve discretionary benefits, even when the law did not allow for such consideration.
An additional policy required USCIS to re-review previously approved applications for anyone from a travel ban country who entered the U.S. on or after January 20, 2021, potentially threatening benefits that had already been lawfully granted.
What Did the Court Decide?
On June 5, 2026, Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island issued a sweeping ruling in the case Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island v. USCIS. The court found that all four USCIS hold policies — the Global Asylum Hold, the Benefits Hold Policy, the Comprehensive Re-Review Policy, and the Country-Specific Factors Policy — violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and conflicted with existing immigration law.
In plain terms, the judge ruled that USCIS was acting unlawfully by refusing to process applications based solely on an applicant’s country of origin and by treating nationality as a reason to deny benefits that Congress had made available to eligible applicants regardless of where they are from.
On June 11, 2026, the court issued a clarifying order reinforcing its decision. USCIS was directed to comply nationwide — meaning the vacatur applies to all applications across the country, not just in Rhode Island.
Which Countries Are Affected?
The USCIS processing holds covered applicants from approximately 39 to 40 countries designated under the administration’s travel ban and related executive orders. While the complete list can vary as policies evolve, affected countries have included — but may not be limited to — Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, Myanmar (Burma), North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen, among others.
If you or a family member holds nationality from any country subject to U.S. travel restrictions, your application may have been subject to these unlawful holds. This is true even if you have been living in the United States legally for years.
What Did USCIS Do After the Ruling?
On June 12, 2026, USCIS officially announced that it will comply with the court’s orders, pending further litigation. This is a critical phrase: “pending further litigation” means that USCIS does not agree with the court’s decision and has filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The agency may also seek an emergency stay that could temporarily pause the court’s orders while the appeal proceeds.
In practical terms, USCIS should now be actively processing benefit applications from affected countries that were previously on hold. However, given the complexity of the ongoing litigation, the situation could change. It is essential to stay informed and work with a qualified immigration attorney who can monitor your case in real time.
What Should You Do If Your Case Was on Hold?
If your immigration benefit application was pending during this period and you come from an affected country, here are practical steps to take right now:
- Check your case status online. Visit the USCIS website and use the “Case Status Online” tool with your receipt number to see if there are any updates. Cases that were held may now show renewed activity.
- Contact USCIS or your attorney. If your case has been pending far beyond normal processing times, consider submitting a service request through the USCIS Contact Center or ask your attorney to make an inquiry on your behalf.
- Keep all documents up to date. Ensure that supporting documents in your application — such as police clearance certificates, medical exams, financial affidavits, and employment letters — are still current. Long-delayed cases may need refreshed evidence.
- Do not refile your case. If you have already filed and received a receipt notice, do not refile your application. Duplicate filings can cause confusion and additional delays. Wait for your original case to be adjudicated.
- Monitor USCIS announcements closely. Given that USCIS has appealed the ruling, the legal landscape could shift again. New court orders, emergency stays, or government actions may affect your case timeline.
Why This Ruling Matters for the Broader Immigration Community
The Dorcas v. USCIS decision carries significance beyond just the applicants directly affected. It is a reminder that U.S. immigration agencies must follow the law and cannot unilaterally impose sweeping policies that deny legally available benefits without proper rulemaking processes under the Administrative Procedure Act.
Courts have consistently held that the APA requires federal agencies to go through a notice-and-comment rulemaking process before making major policy changes. USCIS’s hold policies were implemented quietly, without public notice or opportunity for affected individuals to weigh in. The court found this to be unlawful — a decision that could set important legal precedent for future agency action.
For immigrants and their families, this case is a demonstration that legal advocacy and access to the courts remain vital tools for protecting immigration rights, even in a challenging policy environment.
Next Steps and Where to Get Help
If you believe your application may have been affected by these hold policies, the most important step you can take is to consult with a qualified immigration attorney as soon as possible. An experienced attorney can review your case history, determine whether your application was subject to a hold, and advise you on the best strategy going forward given the ongoing litigation.
According to the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), USCIS is required to comply with the court’s orders while the appeal proceeds. For the full details on the ruling and related practice guidance, visit aila.org or consult a qualified immigration attorney who stays current on these developments.
Stay informed, be proactive, and do not assume your case will automatically resume without any follow-up on your part. If your application was on hold, now is the time to act.
Immigration Fleet Law Firm