U.S. Court Strikes Down Indefinite Green Card Freeze Tied to Trump Travel Ban

A federal judge has dealt a significant blow to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, ordering the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to resume processing green card applications for immigrants from countries covered by the president’s sweeping travel ban.

Judge George L. Russell III ruled that the indefinite suspension of immigration applications was unlawful, stating that while USCIS retains the right to grant or deny an application, it cannot simply shelve one without reaching a decision.

“USCIS does not have discretion to decide not to adjudicate at all,” Russell wrote in a 39-page ruling released Monday.

Although the ruling applies directly to 83 plaintiffs who took the government to court, legal observers say it could set a precedent for other immigrants who believe they have been wronged by the restrictions.

Also Read: Obi, South-East Chieftains Huddle With Jonathan Over 2027 Poll

The human cost of the freeze has been severe. Since January, when the travel restrictions on 39 nations were expanded to cover foreigners already living in the United States, many legal immigrants found themselves unable to renew work authorisations or advance their immigration cases. International STEM students on Optional Practical Training programmes were similarly stalled.

Advocacy group Project Pause Unpause, which challenged the freeze, alleged that USCIS collected over $1 billion in application fees for cases it never processed. A spokesperson for the group described the policy as arbitrary, noting that most affected applicants had lived in the country for over five years without any legal infractions.

USCIS defended the pause on national security grounds, insisting it needed time to ensure maximum vetting of applicants from what it classified as high-risk countries. The judge, however, rejected the government’s claim that the courts lacked authority to intervene, clarifying that his order only required timely decisions not approvals.

A majority of African countries, including Nigeria and Ghana, are among the 39 nations swept up in the ban, leaving thousands of long-term residents in a state of prolonged uncertainty over their immigration futures.