USCIS published an alert today confirming it will comply with the federal court ruling that struck down its adjudication hold policies affecting nationals of 39 countries.
The agency’s language is unambiguous. The vacated policies “should be treated as if they are not in effect.”
Here’s the full picture.
What Happened
On June 5, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island ruled in Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island v. USCIS that four USCIS policies were unlawful under the Immigration and Nationality Act and the Administrative Procedure Act. The court vacated them nationwide.
On June 11, the court entered final judgment. That made the order fully operative.
On June 12, USCIS published its alert. The agency says it strongly disagrees with the ruling but will follow its terms pending possible further judicial review.
The Policies That Were Vacated
PM 602-0192 (December 2, 2025). Froze final adjudication of benefit requests for nationals of designated “high-risk” countries and placed a hold on all pending asylum applications regardless of nationality.
PM 602-0194 (January 1, 2026). Expanded the freeze to nationals of all 39 countries on the travel ban list and ordered re-review of benefits approved on or after January 20, 2021.
PA 2025-26. Directed officers to treat nationality from a travel ban country as a significant negative factor in discretionary benefit decisions.
All three are now void agency-wide, effective immediately.
What This Means for Your Case
The vacatur applies agency-wide, so the effect depends on what you filed and where it sat when the holds hit. Here’s the breakdown by situation.
If Your Green Card Application (I-485) Was Frozen
The hold allowed your case to move through processing steps like biometrics and interviews but blocked the final decision. That block is gone. If your case was decision-ready, it can now be approved or denied on the merits. Naturalization applicants are in an even stronger position: USCIS regulations require a decision within 120 days of the interview, and the court specifically cited that rule. If you interviewed months ago and heard nothing, the agency is now out of legal cover for the silence.
If You Have a Pending I-140 (EB-1A, EB-2 NIW, or Other Employment-Based Petition)
Final adjudications resume. Petitions that were complete and waiting can now be decided. If you have a pending RFE, the clock and the stakes are normal again: respond, and the case can actually move to a decision instead of going back on a shelf.
If You Have a Pending I-129 (O-1, H-1B, and Other Nonimmigrant Petitions)
Same effect. The hold covered nonimmigrant petitions, and those can now receive final decisions. For O-1 beneficiaries whose status timing depended on a stalled petition, this restores a path to resolution.
If Your Work Permit (I-765) Was Stuck
This is where the freeze did the most visible damage. People lost jobs and income while renewals sat undecided. Those applications can now be adjudicated. If your EAD expired while the hold was in place, the application blocking your ability to work is no longer frozen, though processing still takes time and backlogs are real.
If Your Case Was Already Approved but Flagged for Re-Review
The January memo ordered re-review of benefits approved on or after January 20, 2021 for nationals of the listed countries, including possible re-interviews and additional biometrics. That re-review policy is vacated. If you received a notice tied to the re-review, the policy behind it no longer exists. Whether USCIS formally withdraws individual notices is something to watch in the updated instructions the agency says are coming.
If You Have a Pending Asylum Application (I-589)
The global asylum hold is vacated. The court pointed to the statute requiring final asylum decisions within 180 days absent exceptional circumstances, which the government never invoked. Asylum adjudications must resume for all applicants, not just those from “non high-risk” countries.
If You Were Waiting to File
Some people held off on filing I-485s, EAD renewals, or petitions because a frozen agency made filing feel pointless. The calculus has changed. Cases filed now enter a system that is legally required to adjudicate them. That said, the appeal risk below is part of any filing decision.
If Your Case Is at a U.S. Consulate Abroad
This ruling does not help you. The State Department’s pause on immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries is a separate policy under separate litigation. Dorcas only reached USCIS adjudication policies.
If Your Case Involves a Discretionary Benefit
The vacated Policy Alert told officers to treat nationality from a travel ban country as a significant negative factor when weighing discretion. That instruction is gone. Adjustment of status and other discretionary decisions must be made without your country of birth counting against you.
One More Thing on Timing
Decisions USCIS issues while the vacatur is in effect are final decisions. If an appeals court later stays the ruling, that stay would affect cases still pending, not cases already decided. So the practical advice is simple: clear anything outstanding on your end. Respond to RFEs promptly, complete any pending biometrics, and make sure your file gives USCIS no reason to wait.
What Does Not Change
The travel ban itself remains in place. The ruling addressed USCIS adjudication policies. It did not touch Presidential Proclamations 10949 and 10998, which restrict entry into the United States.
Consular processing is unaffected. The State Department’s separate January 2026 pause on immigrant visa issuance at U.S. consulates for nationals of 75 countries remains in effect. That policy is subject to separate litigation. Applicants waiting on visa interviews abroad are not covered by this ruling.
Litigation continues. USCIS signaled in its alert that further judicial review is possible and that it will issue updated instructions as litigation develops. An appeal to the First Circuit, possibly with a request to stay the order, is widely expected.
The Fluid Part
If a higher court stays the ruling, the holds could return while the appeal plays out. Nobody can predict whether that happens or when.
What’s settled: decisions USCIS issues while the vacatur is in effect are final decisions. The current state of the law is that the agency must adjudicate these cases, and it has confirmed it will.
USCIS says updated instructions are coming. We’ll publish an update when they do.
Source: USCIS Alert — Court Order on Hold Policies
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