Photo courtesy of Thetylt.com

By David L. Snelling

MIAMI – A federal court ruled against the President Donald Trump administration policy which stymied processing immigration applications for people from 38 countries including Haiti.

U.S. District Chief Judge John McConnell Jr., from Rhodes Island ordered that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) resume processing applications effective immediately.

In his 135-page ruling, McConnell declared the four policies were all unlawful including the USCIS had no legal authority to freeze applications based on nationality, the policies violated laws against nationality-based discrimination, actions were arbitrary and unreasonable and the policies showed evidence of anti-immigrant bias.

The policies impacted hundreds of thousands of people from Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela, Nigeria, Myanmar and other countries.

After the Trump administration paused the immigration application process, many feared job loss, loss of legal status and being separated from the families

Before the abeyance, immigrants applied for U.S. benefits such as a green card, work permit, citizenship or asylum which had to be approved by USCIS.

The suspension of the immigration application program stemmed from the November 2025 ambush-style shooting of two West Virginia National Guards near the Farragut Metro station in Washington, D.C., just two blocks from the White House.

The victims were U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom (20) and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe. Beckstrom died the following day from her injuries.

The accused, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29–30-year-old Afghan national, is alleged to have driven from Bellingham, Washington, to the D.C. area while in possession of a stolen .357 Magnum Smith & Wesson revolver previously reported stolen in Seattle.

According to reports, he had prior paramilitary training under contract with the CIA in Afghanistan.

Two National Guard majors at the scene helped subdue him after the shooting.