For months, hundreds of thousands of people have been waiting. Waiting for a work permit to be processed. Waiting for a green card application to move. Waiting for any sign that the system was working for them again. Last week, a federal court delivered the news many have been hoping for.

The visa freeze is unlawful. And it has to stop.

What Happened

On June 5, 2026, a U.S. District Court Judge in Rhode Island issued a sweeping ruling against the Trump administration’s policy of freezing immigration benefits for nationals from 39 countries. The policy had been in place since December 2025, blocking work permits, green cards, and other immigration benefits for people from countries the government labeled as high risk, including Nigeria, Venezuela, Iran, and others.

The judge’s ruling was direct. The policy did not simply pause some paperwork. It placed the lives of countless individuals on hold, solely because of where they were born. Over six months later, many of those people remained without work, without legal status, and without any meaningful ability to plan for their futures.

The court ordered USCIS to stop implementing the freeze and to begin processing applications again.

What the Court Found

The ruling found the freeze unlawful on multiple grounds.

First, the judge found that USCIS had no legal basis to indefinitely suspend immigration benefit processing. Federal law requires the government to make decisions on applications. Refusing to adjudicate them at all, for an indefinite period of time, is not a discretionary choice. It is a violation of the law.

Second, the judge found the policy to be arbitrary and capricious. The government provided no reasoned explanation for why nationals from countries as different as Cuba, Venezuela, and Nigeria should all have their cases frozen because of the actions of a single individual from Afghanistan.

Third, the court found clear evidence that the policy was rooted in anti-immigrant bias. The judge noted that it would require, in his words, profound naivety to ignore the strong evidence of anti-immigrant intent behind the policies, particularly given the public statements made by administration officials at the time they were introduced.

In addition to the main benefits freeze, the ruling also struck down three related policies: a global asylum hold, a re-review policy for people from travel ban countries, and a policy requiring officers to treat nationality as a negative factor in immigration decisions.

What This Means Right Now

The ruling went into effect immediately. USCIS is now required to resume processing applications that were frozen under this policy.

This is significant news for the tens of thousands of people who have been waiting for months. Work permits that were stalled may now move forward. Green card applications that were frozen may now be adjudicated. People who were forced to stop working because their authorization lapsed may now have a path back.

That said, there are a few important things to keep in mind:

  • The Trump administration can appeal and may seek an emergency stay of the ruling
  • If an appeals court grants a stay, the freeze could be reimposed while the case continues
  • The ruling does not guarantee approvals. It requires USCIS to make decisions, not to approve every case
  • Separate State Department restrictions on visa issuance abroad are not affected by this ruling

What You Should Do Now

If your work permit, green card, or other immigration benefit was caught in this freeze, now is the time to check the status of your case and connect with your immigration attorney. Do not assume your application will move on its own. Being proactive matters.

If your case has been pending for a long time and you have not yet explored legal options, a mandamus action to compel USCIS to act is still worth understanding, particularly as the legal landscape continues to shift.

This ruling is a meaningful win. But immigration policy is moving fast right now, and staying informed and staying ahead of your deadlines is more important than ever.

We Are Here

At Garvish Immigration Law Group, we have been closely following this case and its implications for our clients. If you have questions about how this ruling affects your situation or what your next steps should be, please reach out. You deserve to have someone in your corner who understands what is happening and knows how to help you move forward.