There is renewed hope for many immigrants following a recent federal judge’s ruling. Applications that had been stalled due to policies from the previous administration may finally move forward. Yet, the timeline remains uncertain.

The backlogged applications exceed one million. These include citizenship, green cards, work permits, and asylum requests. Many immigrants were uncertain about when these applications would advance.

Judge John J. McConnell Jr. delivered a strong opinion against the policies implemented by the Trump administration. He highlighted the significant challenges these policies posed for immigrants trying to remain in the United States.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which handles legal immigration and processes related paperwork, put many applications on hold. This included asylum requests and those from immigrants subjected to a travel ban from 39 countries, primarily in Africa and the Middle East.

“When U.S.C.I.S. first enacted the policies at the center of this litigation, the agency did not simply place a hold on adjudications,” Judge McConnell wrote. “More fundamentally, the challenged policies placed the lives of countless individuals on hold — solely by virtue of their countries of birth. Over six months later, many of those individuals remain without work, without legal status, and without any meaningful ability to plan for their futures.”

The decision is a win for labor groups who had filed a lawsuit against these federal policies in March. Organization like American Gateways, which offers legal assistance to immigrants, were among the plaintiffs in this significant case.