The Trump administration on Friday announced the resumption of immigration and asylum application processing for individuals from several countries whose cases had been put on hold indefinitely following a shooting in Washington, D.C., last year involving an Afghan national and two National Guard members.
In a statement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said it “strongly disagrees” with Judge John J. McConnell Jr.’s ruling but confirmed it would comply with the order directing the agency to adhere to the court’s decision, which found the administration’s policy unlawful and arbitrary.
“We are complying with the court order,” a spokesperson noted.
Authorities halted all asylum applications and imposed a broad suspension of immigration benefits for nationals from 39 countries under President Donald Trump’s travel ban in December, following the shooting incident. The administration framed the move as a national security measure. However, Judge McConnell ruled that officials had effectively “placed the lives of countless individuals on hold — solely by virtue of their countries of birth.”
USCIS did not specify a timeline for when applicants might begin seeing their cases processed again. The Justice Department also appealed Judge McConnell’s ruling on Friday to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit, with government lawyers stating that they intend to request a stay of the order while the case proceeds.
The lawsuit was brought by a coalition of labor unions and immigrant rights organizations that challenged the administration’s suspension of immigration processing affecting large numbers of applicants. The pause disrupted essential services such as citizenship applications, green cards, and work permits, leaving many individuals in legal uncertainty and unable to legally work.
Trump and his supporters who favor tighter immigration controls argue that the U.S. asylum system has been overwhelmed by applicants who may not ultimately qualify but are still permitted to remain in the country for years while their cases move through the courts. The policy is part of a wider set of measures introduced during Trump’s second term aimed at making it more difficult for migrants to access and remain in the asylum process.
USCIS’s statement followed a ruling issued the previous day by Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, who criticized the administration for not promptly resuming immigration processing on June 5. The plaintiffs had also asked the court to enforce the order and ensure government compliance.
“It should almost go without saying — but the Court will say it anyway … court orders vacating and setting aside agency policies have immediate effect once they are issued,” wrote McConnell, an Obama appointee. “There is no excuse this time.”
In a Friday statement, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said “the Left” was using the courts to obstruct the administration’s immigration agenda, calling the legal challenges “sabotage dressed in legal clothing.” The official further claimed that similar tactics had been used against almost every Trump-era Department of Homeland Security policy.
In a declaration submitted to the court on Friday, USCIS Deputy Director Angelica Alfonso-Royals said the agency would notify the public of its compliance, direct staff to proceed as though the policies were no longer in effect, and make sure internal systems no longer block applications under the provisions the judge ruled unlawful.
In an online statement, the agency said it plans to release revised guidance as the case continues and further legal developments unfold.
