Judge Strikes Down Trump ‘Anti-Immigrant’ Policies, Orders Restart of Asylum Processing
“This ruling reaffirms a basic principle: The federal government cannot shut down lawful immigration pathways or discriminate against people based on where they come from,” said one advocate.
People pray during an interfaith service, held adjacent to the Miami Immigration Court, on behalf of immigrants, on November 13, 2025 in Miami.
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Brett Wilkins
Jun 05, 2026
COMMON DREAMS
A federal judge in Rhode Island on Friday struck down a series of President Donald Trump’s policies that he ruled were rooted in “anti-immigrant sentiments” and ordered the administration to resume processing of asylum grants and immigration benefit applications of people from 39 targeted countries.
Last November, US Citizenship and Immigration Services indefinitely suspended asylum adjudications and froze immigration applications for people affected by a travel ban implemented after a man from Afghanistan allegedly shot two National Guard troops in Washington, DC.
Trump vowed to “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries” and expedite the removal of people his administration doesn’t consider “a net asset” to the United States. The administration’s move halted the ability of people from affected nations to obtain green cards, US citizenship, and other benefits.
US District Judge John J. McConnell Jr., an appointee of former President Barack Obama, said in his ruling that the administration’s policies are rooted in “anti-immigrant sentiments that it is forbidden from letting influence its decision-making” and have placed immigrants living in the United States in “indeterminate legal limbo.”
“The challenged policies placed the lives of countless individuals on hold—solely by virtue of their countries of birth,” McConnell wrote. “Over six months later, many of those individuals remain without work, without legal status, and without any meaningful ability to plan for their futures.”
“The government effectively invites the court to shut its eyes and ignore the strong evidence of anti-immigrant animus before it,” the judge added. “Doing so would require profound naiveté on the court’s part. Unfortunately for the government, that is an invitation that this court will have to decline.”
US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) General Counsel James Percival slammed McConnell’s ruling in a social media post accusing “the Left” of “running the same gambit with so-called ‘animus’ claims since 2017.”
“It is sabotage dressed in legal clothing,” Percival added. “It goes like this: (1) the admin is racist, (2) therefore a policy I don’t like is motivated by race, (3) therefore it is invalid. They have used it on virtually every Trump-era DHS policy.”
Plaintiffs and others involved in the case welcomed McConnell’s decision.
“This ruling reaffirms a basic principle: The federal government cannot shut down lawful immigration pathways or discriminate against people based on where they come from,” Democracy Forward president and CEO Skye Perryman said in a statement.
“These unlawful policies caused enormous harm to families, workers, asylum seekers, and communities across the country who were left in limbo, unable to work, access protections, or move forward with their lives,” Perryman added. “We are pleased that the court recognized the devastating human consequences of these policies. Our communities deserve a fair process governed by law, not political targeting rooted in fear-mongering and discrimination.”
Milagro Sique, CEO at the Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island, said: “Today is a good day. On behalf of the thousands of immigrants we serve, we are grateful to Judge McConnell for his ruling.”
“These policies were wrong, plain and simple, and caused profound fear and uncertainty for so many of our friends, neighbors, and coworkers,” Sique added. “Having the judicial process work as intended—by upholding the rule of law—gives us some reassurance that all is not lost and allows those who have been impacted to move forward with their lives in a meaningful way.”
Abbey Koenning-Rutherford, staff attorney at Muslim Advocates, said that “today’s decision is an unsparing rejection of the government’s discriminatory and unlawful actions to gut access to immigration benefits under the false pretext of national security.”
“These policies unjustly revived the discriminatory logic of the first Muslim and African bans and expanded them widely to millions of community members already inside the United States,” she continued, referring to policies enacted during Trump’s first term.
“In vacating these unlawful policies, the court makes it unmistakably clear that the Trump administration cannot hold the lives of immigrants in legal limbo based on their countries of birth, and must continue processing their applications for status and benefits as required by law,” Koenning-Rutherford added.
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.)—an immigrant from India—was among the Democratic lawmakers who applauded Friday’s ruling, writing on social media that “this is a BIG win.”
“A judge has now reaffirmed that Trump’s freeze on processing immigration applications for 39 countries is illegal and that processing must restart immediately,” she added. “Today’s ruling is not the end of the fight, but it is a major step in the right direction.”
“This ruling reaffirms a basic principle: The federal government cannot shut down lawful immigration pathways or discriminate against people based on where they come from,” said one advocate.
People pray during an interfaith service, held adjacent to the Miami Immigration Court, on behalf of immigrants, on November 13, 2025 in Miami.
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Brett Wilkins
Jun 05, 2026
COMMON DREAMS
A federal judge in Rhode Island on Friday struck down a series of President Donald Trump’s policies that he ruled were rooted in “anti-immigrant sentiments” and ordered the administration to resume processing of asylum grants and immigration benefit applications of people from 39 targeted countries.
Last November, US Citizenship and Immigration Services indefinitely suspended asylum adjudications and froze immigration applications for people affected by a travel ban implemented after a man from Afghanistan allegedly shot two National Guard troops in Washington, DC.
Trump vowed to “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries” and expedite the removal of people his administration doesn’t consider “a net asset” to the United States. The administration’s move halted the ability of people from affected nations to obtain green cards, US citizenship, and other benefits.
US District Judge John J. McConnell Jr., an appointee of former President Barack Obama, said in his ruling that the administration’s policies are rooted in “anti-immigrant sentiments that it is forbidden from letting influence its decision-making” and have placed immigrants living in the United States in “indeterminate legal limbo.”
“The challenged policies placed the lives of countless individuals on hold—solely by virtue of their countries of birth,” McConnell wrote. “Over six months later, many of those individuals remain without work, without legal status, and without any meaningful ability to plan for their futures.”
“The government effectively invites the court to shut its eyes and ignore the strong evidence of anti-immigrant animus before it,” the judge added. “Doing so would require profound naiveté on the court’s part. Unfortunately for the government, that is an invitation that this court will have to decline.”
US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) General Counsel James Percival slammed McConnell’s ruling in a social media post accusing “the Left” of “running the same gambit with so-called ‘animus’ claims since 2017.”
“It is sabotage dressed in legal clothing,” Percival added. “It goes like this: (1) the admin is racist, (2) therefore a policy I don’t like is motivated by race, (3) therefore it is invalid. They have used it on virtually every Trump-era DHS policy.”
Plaintiffs and others involved in the case welcomed McConnell’s decision.
“This ruling reaffirms a basic principle: The federal government cannot shut down lawful immigration pathways or discriminate against people based on where they come from,” Democracy Forward president and CEO Skye Perryman said in a statement.
“These unlawful policies caused enormous harm to families, workers, asylum seekers, and communities across the country who were left in limbo, unable to work, access protections, or move forward with their lives,” Perryman added. “We are pleased that the court recognized the devastating human consequences of these policies. Our communities deserve a fair process governed by law, not political targeting rooted in fear-mongering and discrimination.”
Milagro Sique, CEO at the Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island, said: “Today is a good day. On behalf of the thousands of immigrants we serve, we are grateful to Judge McConnell for his ruling.”
“These policies were wrong, plain and simple, and caused profound fear and uncertainty for so many of our friends, neighbors, and coworkers,” Sique added. “Having the judicial process work as intended—by upholding the rule of law—gives us some reassurance that all is not lost and allows those who have been impacted to move forward with their lives in a meaningful way.”
Abbey Koenning-Rutherford, staff attorney at Muslim Advocates, said that “today’s decision is an unsparing rejection of the government’s discriminatory and unlawful actions to gut access to immigration benefits under the false pretext of national security.”
“These policies unjustly revived the discriminatory logic of the first Muslim and African bans and expanded them widely to millions of community members already inside the United States,” she continued, referring to policies enacted during Trump’s first term.
“In vacating these unlawful policies, the court makes it unmistakably clear that the Trump administration cannot hold the lives of immigrants in legal limbo based on their countries of birth, and must continue processing their applications for status and benefits as required by law,” Koenning-Rutherford added.
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.)—an immigrant from India—was among the Democratic lawmakers who applauded Friday’s ruling, writing on social media that “this is a BIG win.”
“A judge has now reaffirmed that Trump’s freeze on processing immigration applications for 39 countries is illegal and that processing must restart immediately,” she added. “Today’s ruling is not the end of the fight, but it is a major step in the right direction.”
David Edwards
June 5, 2026
RAW STORY
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and federal agents secure the entrance to the Delaney Hall detention center, as demonstrators remain gathered outside, in Newark, New Jersey, U.S., May 29, 2026. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
A tense confrontation outside Newark's Delaney Hall immigration detention facility escalated Friday when a red sedan slowly drove into a line of protesters blocking a facility exit, pushing them backward until someone hurled an object that left two large shatter marks in the vehicle's front windshield.
Video shared on X by @Patrick_Nealis showed the car sitting for several minutes as protesters blocked the exit, then creeping forward, making contact with demonstrators and forcing them back. As the car advanced, protesters could be heard shouting, "That's blood money! You will reap what you sow!" Protesters appeared to presume the driver was a facility employee, though that has not been confirmed.
The confrontation took an uglier turn as the car pressed forward. "You're f—ing Spanish!" demonstrators screamed at the driver. "You should be ashamed of yourself!"
Friday's incident is the latest in a weeks-long standoff at Delaney Hall, a privately run facility with 1,000 beds operated by GEO Group under a $1 billion ICE contract. Protests erupted on May 22 after roughly 300 detainees launched a hunger and labor strike over alleged inhumane conditions — claims federal officials deny.
The demonstrations have grown increasingly volatile. ICE agents have fired pepper balls and tear gas at crowds, and state police moved in after Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill declared the situation "completely unacceptable." The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker has documented at least 42 assaults on journalists covering the protests. Just Wednesday night, two more protesters were arrested after blocking vehicles at the facility entrance.
New Jersey filed suit against GEO Group, demanding that state health inspectors be granted access to the facility, with Newark threatening to expand its own separate lawsuit to push for closure.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and federal agents secure the entrance to the Delaney Hall detention center, as demonstrators remain gathered outside, in Newark, New Jersey, U.S., May 29, 2026. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
A tense confrontation outside Newark's Delaney Hall immigration detention facility escalated Friday when a red sedan slowly drove into a line of protesters blocking a facility exit, pushing them backward until someone hurled an object that left two large shatter marks in the vehicle's front windshield.
Video shared on X by @Patrick_Nealis showed the car sitting for several minutes as protesters blocked the exit, then creeping forward, making contact with demonstrators and forcing them back. As the car advanced, protesters could be heard shouting, "That's blood money! You will reap what you sow!" Protesters appeared to presume the driver was a facility employee, though that has not been confirmed.
The confrontation took an uglier turn as the car pressed forward. "You're f—ing Spanish!" demonstrators screamed at the driver. "You should be ashamed of yourself!"
Friday's incident is the latest in a weeks-long standoff at Delaney Hall, a privately run facility with 1,000 beds operated by GEO Group under a $1 billion ICE contract. Protests erupted on May 22 after roughly 300 detainees launched a hunger and labor strike over alleged inhumane conditions — claims federal officials deny.
The demonstrations have grown increasingly volatile. ICE agents have fired pepper balls and tear gas at crowds, and state police moved in after Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill declared the situation "completely unacceptable." The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker has documented at least 42 assaults on journalists covering the protests. Just Wednesday night, two more protesters were arrested after blocking vehicles at the facility entrance.
New Jersey filed suit against GEO Group, demanding that state health inspectors be granted access to the facility, with Newark threatening to expand its own separate lawsuit to push for closure.
No comments:
Post a Comment