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This summary is based on currently available information. It does not relate to any specific situation and is not legal advice.

On June 5, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island ruled in that several U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policies affecting nationals of countries subject to the federal are unlawful. The court found to be unlawful policies that had effectively paused, delayed, or subjected immigration benefit applications to additional scrutiny based on an applicant’s nationality from one of the . included adjudication pauses, the re-review policy, and guidance directing USCIS officers to treat an applicant’s nationality from a travel-ban country as a negative factor when deciding certain discretionary immigration benefits.

The court found that these policies violated U.S. immigration and administrative laws. The judge determined that USCIS could not apply these measures simply because an applicant was from a country affected by the travel bans. As a result, the court declared the policies unlawful and ordered USCIS to stop using them. The decision is expected to apply nationwide, meaning USCIS should resume processing affected immigration applications under its normal procedures across the country. USCIS is likely to appeal the court’s ruling and request a stay (pause) of the order while the appeal is pending. ISSS will update this article if there are any future changes.

Importantly, the ruling does not impact the themselves. Those travel restrictions, which govern entry into the United States, remain in effect. The court’s decision is limited to USCIS policies affecting immigration applications filed with the agency. 

As always, ISSS is here to answer questions and support you!