A federal judge in Rhode Island invalidated several immigration policies implemented by the Trump administration. The policies stopped asylum grants and delayed processing immigration benefits for people from 39 countries, mostly in Africa and the Middle East.

Judge John J. McConnell Jr., in a detailed 135-page ruling, criticized the measures for pausing the immigration system and denying temporary work permits. He noted the actions appeared driven by anti-immigration sentiments and were inconsistent with existing laws. These policies, executed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (U.S.C.I.S.), included halting asylum applications globally. Additionally, they stopped decisions on immigration requests from the countries affected by the travel ban, impacting green card and benefit acquisition.

The ruling affects lawful permanent residents, many of whom were unable to proceed with citizenship applications due to delayed reviews. This decision challenges the Trump administration’s efforts to control both illegal and legal immigration, demanding a return to standard processing and addressing over one million backlogged immigration applications.

James Percival, representing the Homeland Security Department, criticized the judge’s decision, attributing it to left-wing interference in legal proceedings.