Judge McConnell Voids Trump Curbs on 39 Countries' Immigration Cases
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jun 5
Judge McConnell Voids Trump Curbs on 39 Countries' Immigration Cases
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jun 5
Summary
Friday's ruling by District Judge John McConnell struck down Trump-era restrictions that had blocked final decisions on asylum, green cards, work permits and citizenship applications for people from 39 countries.
McConnell said the November 2025 policy left immigrants in "indeterminate legal limbo" for more than six months and relied on pretextual national-security claims that masked anti-immigrant sentiment.
The restrictions were imposed after a Washington shooting of two National Guard members and mainly targeted countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
The decision adds to mounting legal scrutiny of Trump's broader crackdown on legal immigration, including a separate January pause on most immigrant visas from 75 countries.
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.