District Court Decision Overturns the USCIS Adjudications Pause

‍5 June 2026

The U.S District Court of Rhode Island has issued a court order overturning the USCIS adjudication pause for citizens of 39 countries. This is a very encouraging sign that pending applications for these population will now continue to be processed by USCIS. While the government may file an appeal to this decision, the language of the order is quite affirmative. From page 3 of the order:

“In ruling on these motions, the Court is reminded of a line often repeated in

discussions around immigration policy: If people wish to immigrate to the United

States, they ought to “follow the law” and “do things the right way.” This case serves

as a perfect example of immigrants doing just that. Plaintiffs and their members

have observed the legal processes that Congress enacted by statute and USCIS

promulgated by regulation so that they may one day obtain immigration benefits.

They have, for example, filed the appropriate paperwork, paid the required filing fees,

submitted to the requested biometrics collections, and attended the necessary in-

person interviews. Even so, Plaintiffs and their members are stuck waiting, for

months on end, for benefit requests that USCIS refuses to adjudicate. But the rule of

law has to apply to everyone equally and, as evident here, USCIS has neither

“followed the law” nor “done things the right way.” Indeed, the agency has

violated the very immigration laws that Congress has charged it with

administering, as well as the administrative laws that govern the agency’s actions.“

Read the full court order here.