In one of the most significant immigration developments in months, a federal court has ordered U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to restart the adjudication of applications it had frozen for nationals of 39 “travel-ban” countries, a list that includes Afghanistan.
On June 5, 2026, Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island ruled in Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island v. USCIS that several USCIS policies were unlawful and ordered the agency to resume processing. After the government was slow to comply, the court entered a formal judgment in mid-June making clear the policies were no longer in effect, and USCIS confirmed it had resumed processing on June 15, 2026.
The court set aside four related policies: an indefinite hold on immigration benefits for nationals of the 39 countries; a separate, blanket hold on USCIS asylum adjudications; a sweeping re-review of benefits already approved for people from travel-ban countries who entered the U.S. on or after January 20, 2021; and a policy that instructed officers to treat a person’s nationality from a travel-ban country as a significant negative factor. In its 135-page opinion, the court found that USCIS lacked the statutory authority to indefinitely refuse to decide applications Congress requires it to adjudicate, that the policies were arbitrary and not supported by a reasoned explanation, and that the government’s stated justifications were inadequate.
What this means for you. Cases inside the United States that had stalled should now move again — including affirmative asylum applications pending at USCIS, adjustment-of-status (Form I-485) cases, work-permit applications (Form I-765), and naturalization. One key point: the order requires USCIS to process these cases, not to approve them.
The distinction that matters most for your case. This ruling is about the adjudication of benefits inside the United States. It does not strike down the President’s entry/travel ban, and it does not reopen the U.S. consulates. If you or a family member are abroad and subject to the travel ban — which includes Afghanistan — this decision does not create a new path to enter the country. The State Department’s separate suspension of immigrant visa issuance for a broader group of countries also remains in place.
Finally, the situation is still in motion: the government filed an appeal on June 12, 2026, and may ask a higher court to pause the ruling. Before making any major decision — especially international travel — it is important to get advice on your specific case.
If your application was frozen, contact The Anwari Law Firm. We can confirm exactly where your case stands, make sure it is positioned to move now that processing has resumed, and set up a call to talk through your options.
Posted in: Immigration
posted on: June 26, 2026