Judge Voids Trump Curbs on 1 Million Immigration Cases, Ordering Restart for 39 Banned Countries
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 5
Judge Voids Trump Curbs on 1 Million Immigration Cases, Ordering Restart for 39 Banned Countries
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 5
Summary
A Rhode Island federal judge ordered the Trump administration to resume normal asylum and immigration adjudications, reopening more than 1 million backlogged cases.
Judge John J. McConnell Jr.'s 135-page ruling said USCIS unlawfully froze asylum filings, work permits and other decisions, making it functionally impossible for many applicants to remain in the United States.
The blocked policies covered applicants from 39 travel-ban countries—mostly in Africa and the Middle East—and also stalled green-card and citizenship decisions for some lawful permanent residents.
McConnell said the measures were driven by anti-immigration sentiment and violated immigration law, handing a major setback to Trump's broader push to tighten both illegal and legal immigration.
With an 11.6 million case backlog, can the U.S. immigration system realistically recover after the court-ordered restart?
Beyond legal limbo, what is the full economic cost of halting immigration for skilled workers and their employers?
Judge Orders Immediate Reversal of Trump’s Immigration Freeze Affecting 39 Countries: Legal, Economic, and Humanitarian Impacts
Overview
On June 5, 2026, federal judge John J. McConnell Jr. ordered the immediate resumption of immigration benefit processing, reversing a freeze that had left many immigrants in the U.S. in 'indeterminate legal limbo.' The freeze, driven by anti-immigrant sentiments, had caused over six months of disruption, forcing thousands to wait indefinitely for decisions on asylum, green cards, and work permits, and blocking their ability to work legally. The judge’s decision requires USCIS to promptly restart these applications, offering relief to those affected and marking a significant step toward restoring fairness in the immigration system.