Federal Judge Blocks Trump Asylum, Work-Permit Rules for Nationals From High-Risk Countries

A federal judge in Rhode Island on Friday struck down a set of immigration policies enacted by the Trump administration. The ruling ends a global hold on asylum applications and lifts pauses on immigration filings for people from the 39 countries covered by the president's travel ban.

The policies were announced shortly after authorities said an Afghan national shot two National Guard members in Washington. The individual has pleaded not guilty.

The judge wrote that the actions locked eligible asylum-seekers out of the immigration system and denied others temporary work permits. This made it functionally impossible for a broad group of people to remain in the country. "The resulting squeeze placed the lives of countless individuals on hold — solely by virtue of their countries of birth," the opinion stated.

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 opinion said. The judge also found that the agency had routinely applied the law unequally.

The burden fell hardest on people who had followed all the procedures demanded of them. "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,'" the opinion said.

Forward, a legal nonprofit that helped represent the immigration groups and unions behind the lawsuit, welcomed the decision. "This ruling reaffirms a basic principle: The federal government cannot shut down lawful immigration pathways or discriminate against people based on where they come from," said Skye Perryman, the organization's president.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.