Rhode Island Judge Nullifies Trump-Era Blocks on Legal Immigration

A Rhode Island federal judge blocked Trump-era measures that paused or slowed asylum processing, green cards and other legal immigration benefits for hundreds of thousands of applicants, including nationals from 39 countries on the travel-ban list. In a 135-page opinion, Chief Judge John McConnell ruled these policies were arbitrary and unlawful, noting affected applicants had filed paperwork, paid fees, and attended biometrics and interviews. The ruling curtails the administration’s national-security justification and requires USCIS to resume processing, while DHS criticized the decision.