Thousands of immigrants whose applications have been stalled under the Trump administration’s travel ban policies may soon see progress after a federal judge ordered U.S. immigration authorities to resume processing green card and other immigration benefit applications.

The decision follows a ruling by U.S. District Judge John McConnell, who found that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) acted unlawfully when it froze the processing of applications from individuals linked to countries targeted by the administration’s travel restrictions.

Although USCIS said it strongly disagrees with the ruling, the agency confirmed it will comply with the court’s order while the legal battle continues.

The dispute stems from a travel ban signed by President Donald Trump in June 2025, which prohibited entry into the United States for nationals of 12 countries and imposed partial restrictions on seven others. The administration argued that the measures were necessary to address national security concerns and deficiencies in foreign governments’ screening and information-sharing systems.

Following the proclamation, USCIS suspended the processing of numerous immigration applications submitted by individuals from a broader group of 39 countries affected by the restrictions. The move left thousands of applicants, including those already legally residing in the United States, unable to obtain decisions on green cards, asylum requests, work permits, and citizenship applications.

Immigrant advocacy organizations challenged the policy in court, arguing that the government had exceeded its authority by withholding immigration benefits from people who were already present in the country and entitled to have their cases reviewed.

McConnell agreed, ruling that USCIS lacked the legal authority to indefinitely place applications on hold based solely on an applicant’s nationality.

In a strongly worded order issued this week, the judge rejected government arguments that his earlier ruling had not yet taken effect and directed officials to immediately begin complying.

“There is no excuse this time,” McConnell wrote, ordering the administration to provide the court with details of the steps being taken to implement the ruling.

Court documents filed on Friday indicated that USCIS employees have been instructed to treat the travel-ban restrictions as though they are no longer in effect when reviewing affected applications.

McConnell criticized the policy for leaving applicants in what he described as “indeterminate legal limbo,” noting that the delays were not caused by any wrongdoing on the part of the individuals involved but were instead based solely on their countries of origin.

The Trump administration has defended the policy as a legitimate national security measure, maintaining that additional scrutiny is necessary for applicants from countries deemed to have inadequate vetting procedures.

Despite beginning to comply with the judge’s order, USCIS signaled that it may seek further judicial review, leaving open the possibility of an appeal.

For now, however, the ruling offers renewed hope to thousands of immigrants whose applications have remained frozen for months as the legal challenge unfolds.