Court Blocks Trump's Immigration Ban on 39 Countries: Green Card & EB-3 Applications Resume

A U.S. District Court in Rhode Island issued a landmark ruling on June 5, 2026, vacating four USCIS policies that had suspended immigration benefit adjudications for nationals of 39 countries since December 2025. Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. found that USCIS exceeded its statutory authority, failed to provide reasoned explanations, and used pretextual national security justifications to mask impermissible anti-immigrant bias. The four struck-down policies included: a Global Asylum Hold affecting all asylum adjudications regardless of origin, a Benefits Hold pausing green cards and work permits for Travel Ban nationals, a Comprehensive Re-Review Policy requiring re-examination of previously approved benefits, and a Country-Specific Factors Policy that treated an applicant's country of birth as a 'significant negative factor.' For EB-3 applicants from affected countries, this ruling is significant. Green card applications, Adjustments of Status (I-485), Employment Authorization Documents (EADs), and naturalization petitions that were frozen may now resume processing. Applicants who completed all required steps — filing fees, biometrics, and interviews — had been left in indefinite limbo through no fault of their own. Employers with foreign national workers should immediately audit their workforce for affected employees and consult immigration counsel. Industries such as tech, healthcare, and manufacturing — sectors that heavily rely on EB-3 sponsored workers — should reassess their workforce planning timelines in light of this ruling. The federal government is widely expected to appeal, meaning uncertainty continues. Applicants and employers should monitor appellate developments closely, as the case may ultimately reach the U.S. Supreme Court. In the interim, proactive communication with affected employees and legal coordination is strongly advised.