Ohio Federal Court Orders USCIS to Process Immigrant Applications Now
On July 6, 2026, an Ohio court ordered USCIS to process applications for 15 immigrants.
Why it matters: This ruling forces faster USCIS action and challenges policies that delayed immigration benefits based on nationality. Immigration lawyers must adjust strategies as courts increase oversight of agency backlogs and discriminatory holds.
- July 6, 2026: Ohio federal court grants preliminary injunction for 15 immigrants from seven countries.
- Plaintiffs challenged Trump-era policies using nationality as a negative factor in immigration benefits.
- June 5, 2026: Rhode Island court vacated four USCIS policies freezing processing for 200 immigrants.
- April 30, 2026: Boston court blocked USCIS adjudicative holds affecting about 200 applicants across 20 countries.
On July 6, 2026, a federal court in Ohio issued a preliminary injunction requiring U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to promptly process permanent resident applications for 15 immigrants from Burma, Canada, Iran, Nigeria, Syria, Tanzania, and Venezuela. These applicants challenged Trump-era travel ban proclamations that treated their nationalities as adverse factors in adjudicating immigration benefits. The court’s order confronts ongoing agency delays and holds based on nationality.
Earlier rulings have challenged similar USCIS policies. On June 5, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island vacated four USCIS policies that paused immigration benefit processing for nationals of designated "travel ban" countries. These policies were ruled to violate the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and exceed agency authority, impacting approximately 200 individuals from 20 countries. This ruling set a precedent limiting agency overreach in immigration adjudications.
Similarly, on April 30, 2026, a federal judge in Boston blocked USCIS from maintaining adjudicative holds on applications from about 200 individuals across 20 countries. These coordinated decisions reflect mounting judicial scrutiny of USCIS’s handling of cases involving nationals from travel ban countries.
Jim Hacking, lead attorney for the Ohio plaintiffs, criticized the policies, stating, "What is happening right now is just an administration that is bent on tormenting legal immigrants." A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson responded that the lawsuit seeks to override the President’s lawful authority.
Together, these rulings highlight growing challenges for immigration counsel managing agency delays and policies viewed as discriminatory, underscoring the need for vigilant legal strategies to navigate evolving judicial and administrative landscapes.
By the numbers:
- 15 immigrants — affected by Ohio court injunction to USCIS on July 6, 2026
- 200 individuals — protected by Rhode Island and Boston court rulings blocking USCIS policies
- 7 countries — represented by Ohio plaintiffs challenging travel ban effects
Yes, but: While courts push USCIS to act, agency officials argue rulings interfere with executive immigration policy authority.
What's next: Legal challenges to USCIS travel-ban-related adjudication policies are ongoing with further hearings expected later in 2026.