In a sweeping preliminary injunction issued 7 July 2026, U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley directed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to resume adjudicating employment-authorization, adjustment-of-status and advance-parole applications that the agency had placed on indefinite hold under policies linked to President Trump’s expanded travel restrictions. The Ohio lawsuit was brought by 25 foreign nationals—from Burma to Venezuela—who argued that USCIS had no statutory authority to freeze cases filed by people already lawfully in the United States. Judge Marbley agreed, calling the pause an “indefinite limbo” inconsistent with the Immigration and Nationality Act. The ruling is the second federal court decision in as many months to rebuke the agency’s nationality-based holds. Last month, a Rhode Island court struck down four similar policies. Taken together, the orders suggest that nationwide holds that are not codified in regulation cannot survive judicial scrutiny, even when framed as national-security vetting. Practically, the injunction should begin moving thousands of employment-authorization (Form I-765) and green-card (Form I-485) cases that have sat dormant—some for more than a year. USCIS has 30 days to report back on compliance. Employers with workers whose work permits lapsed during the freeze should watch for biometrics notices and Requests for Evidence and be prepared to update I-9 documentation promptly once new cards arrive.
![Federal judge orders USCIS to restart stalled green-card and work-permit cases]()
During this period of renewed adjudication, many applicants and HR teams turn to outside experts for up-to-the-minute guidance. VisaHQ, an online visa and passport services platform, can help individuals and companies track case status changes, obtain travel documents quickly and stay compliant with evolving USCIS requirements; learn more at
The decision does not automatically approve any application; it simply forces USCIS to resume normal adjudication timelines. The Administration is expected to appeal, but because the order is a preliminary injunction, processing could restart as early as late July. Applicants should monitor their online case status daily and ensure that addresses on file are current. For global-mobility teams, the message is mixed: litigation can unblock stalled pipelines, but policy volatility remains high. Companies should continue to build extra lead time into relocation schedules and consider dual-tracking strategies—such as concurrent consular processing—until it is clear whether higher courts will uphold the injunction.
During this period of renewed adjudication, many applicants and HR teams turn to outside experts for up-to-the-minute guidance. VisaHQ, an online visa and passport services platform, can help individuals and companies track case status changes, obtain travel documents quickly and stay compliant with evolving USCIS requirements; learn more at
The decision does not automatically approve any application; it simply forces USCIS to resume normal adjudication timelines. The Administration is expected to appeal, but because the order is a preliminary injunction, processing could restart as early as late July. Applicants should monitor their online case status daily and ensure that addresses on file are current. For global-mobility teams, the message is mixed: litigation can unblock stalled pipelines, but policy volatility remains high. Companies should continue to build extra lead time into relocation schedules and consider dual-tracking strategies—such as concurrent consular processing—until it is clear whether higher courts will uphold the injunction.
