Federal Court Orders US Immigration Agency to Resume Frozen Green Card Applications
Washington, 28 April 2026
A US federal court has forced immigration authorities to restart processing green card applications that were indefinitely frozen under Trump administration policies targeting 39 countries. The ruling affects at least 83 individuals who challenged the unlawful pause, with the court finding that agencies cannot simply stop processing applications from people who already met requirements. This decision comes as the administration previously halted the diversity visa lottery programme and imposed widespread travel restrictions, creating massive backlogs that now extend into 2027 for many applicants.
Court Ruling Challenges Immigration Processing Freeze
The federal court judgment directly challenged the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policy that effectively created an indefinite pause on immigration benefits for applicants from countries under travel restrictions [1]. The court determined that immigration authorities do not possess the discretion to simply cease adjudicating applications altogether, particularly for individuals who have already satisfied submission requirements [1]. This sweeping policy had halted green card processing for applicants from 39 countries affected by travel bans and visa restrictions, many of whom were already legally residing in the United States [1]. The ruling establishes a precedent that could benefit thousands of similar cases currently stalled in the immigration system.
Impact on Skilled Professionals and Long-term Residents
The frozen applications particularly affected skilled professionals who had contributed significantly to critical sectors including healthcare, science, and technology [1]. Court documents revealed that many affected individuals had even secured special considerations, such as national-interest waivers, highlighting how the prolonged delays impacted professionals deemed essential to American interests [1]. These applicants had followed proper legal procedures and many had lived in the United States for years before facing the processing freeze [1]. The court’s decision provides immediate relief for at least 83 individuals who participated in the legal challenge, though the broader implications extend to thousands of similarly affected cases across the immigration system.
Broader Immigration Policy Restrictions Under Current Administration
The court ruling occurs against a backdrop of extensive immigration restrictions implemented by the Trump administration, which has systematically reduced legal immigration pathways [2]. The administration imposed travel bans and restrictions on nationals from 39 countries, with an initial ban on 19 countries announced on 4 June 2025 and expanded to include Nigeria, Syria, and Palestinian Authority travel documents on 16 December 2025 [2]. In January 2026, the State Department announced a suspension on issuance of permanent immigrant visas affecting 75 countries, representing 128806.9 per cent of immigrant visas issued in fiscal year 2024 [2]. These measures have contributed to a significant slowdown in legal immigration processing, with hundreds of thousands fewer adjudications per quarter compared to the previous year [2].
DV-2027 Programme Changes and Current Status
The diversity visa lottery programme, which normally provides up to 55,000 green cards annually, has faced significant disruption [2]. The State Department halted diversity visa issuance in late December 2025 following security incidents, and the administration has not yet reopened the DV lottery programme, directly affecting DV-2027 applicants [2]. Meanwhile, new rules for the DV-2027 programme were published on 11 March 2026 and became effective on 10 April 2026, introducing mandatory passport scanning at entry, a $1 registration fee through the official portal only, and terminology changes from ‘Gender’ to ‘Sex’ [3]. The DV-2026 programme entry period ran from 2 October 2024 to 7 November 2024, and entrants can check their status starting at noon Eastern Daylight Time on 3 May 2025 [4]. However, the court ruling and ongoing policy changes create uncertainty about when DV-2027 applications will actually open for submission.