Federal Judge Blocks Trump's 39-Country Immigration Benefits Freeze

A federal judge in Rhode Island blocked the Trump administration from freezing work permits, green cards, citizenship applications and other immigration benefits for nationals of 39 countries tied to the administration’s travel ban, ruling the policies unlawfully targeted people based on where they came from and citing anti-immigrant animus. The decision unpauses benefits for hundreds of thousands with pending applications and allows naturalization ceremonies to be rescheduled, though the government can appeal to the First Circuit.