Story perspectives

Judge Declares USCIS Bans on 39 Countries Unlawful

6/6/2026

Left

McConnell Strikes Policies

The New York Immigration Coalition hailed the ruling, saying it deprives thousands of families of life-saving protections in United States.
Chief U.S. District Judge John McConnell ruled USCIS policies barring applicants from 39 countries were unlawful.
The policies were deemed to violate immigration and administrative law, thrusting immigrants into legal limbo.
The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on the decision.

Right

McConnell Blocks Policies

President Donald Trump pledged via social media to pause migration from all Third World countries after an Afghan immigrant shooting.
Chief U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Providence, Rhode Island ruled the immigration policies violated statutory and regulatory authority.
The ruling left people from 39 nations in legal limbo and was clearly anti-immigrant.
Immigrant service groups and labor unions that sued USCIS hailed the decision as a victory.

History

Historical Context

President Bill Clinton signed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act in 1996, effective April 1 1997, merging exclusion and deportation into removal proceedings and expanding expedited removal. Deportations rose from roughly 50,000 to over 200,000 by the early 2000s. The law later empowered the Department of Homeland Security and prompted ACLU challenges to its nationality-based bans.

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McConnell Strikes Policies

The New York Immigration Coalition hailed the ruling, saying it deprives thousands of families of life-saving protections in United States.
Chief U.S. District Judge John McConnell ruled USCIS policies barring applicants from 39 countries were unlawful.
The policies were deemed to violate immigration and administrative law, thrusting immigrants into legal limbo.
The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on the decision.

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