US judge rejects Trump administration's halt on immigration applications
A federal judge in Boston ruled that the Trump administration's policies making it harder for individuals from 39 countries subject to travel bans to obtain green cards and work permits are unlawful and discriminatory. U.S. District Judge Julia Kobick issued a preliminary injunction blocking the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services from enforcing the restrictions against 22 plaintiffs. The judge found the policies violated the Immigration and Nationality Act's prohibition on nationality-based discrimination and contradicted statutory requirements for processing applications.
- ▪U.S. District Judge Julia Kobick issued a preliminary injunction against immigration policies targeting applicants from 39 countries on Trump's travel ban list.
- ▪The policies treated nationality from those countries as a 'significant negative factor' and halted processing of asylum, green card, and work authorization applications.
- ▪The lawsuit was filed by around 200 individuals from 20 countries, including Iran, Haiti, Venezuela, and Syria, challenging the legality of the restrictions.
- ▪Judge Kobick concluded the policies violated the Immigration and Nationality Act and federal regulations requiring timely decisions on immigration applications.
- ▪The ruling initially applies to 22 plaintiffs, with discussions underway to extend the injunction to the remaining plaintiffs.
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US judge rejects Trump administration's halt on immigration applicationsSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxInformation packs are distributed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services following a citizenship ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., July 18, 2018. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File PhotoPublished May 01, 2026, 06:43 AMUpdated May 01, 2026, 06:48 AMListenBOSTON, April 30 - A federal judge on Thursday ruled that policies that make it harder for people from countries on President Donald Trump's travel ban list to get green cards and work permits are discriminatory and unlawful.U.S.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Straits Times — World.