🚨 BREAKING: In Doe v. Trump, a federal judge in Massachusetts just dealt a major blow to USCIS’s indefinite pause policy, which applies travel-ban logic to legal immigrants already admitted and living inside the U.S. The judge joins at least seven other federal judges who have found the policy likely unlawful, arbitrary, and capricious. She went further by ruling that using country of birth as a negative factor in immigration decisions is also likely unlawful. The court rejected USCIS’s attempt to freeze immigration benefits for people who followed the law, including many who have lived here legally for years, some for over a decade. Since December 2, this policy has wreaked havoc on the lives of thousands of physicians, scientists, highly skilled immigrants, and spouses of U.S. citizens from 39 countries, stripping them of any legal means of employment and extension of lawful status through indefinite administrative delay. In her ruling, the judge wrote: The policy “extends far beyond” entry restrictions and targets people already living legally in America. USCIS failed to consider the human cost of “throwing thousands… into indefinite limbo.” “Indefinite limbo… affecting all manner of life plans.” “Extrapolating the conduct of two individuals… to thousands… does not rank as reasoned decision-making.” The policy “runs afoul of… prohibition on nationality-based discrimination.” Clear message from the courts: legal immigrants who are already admitted and living inside the U.S., and who followed every rule, cannot be collectively punished solely because of where they were born. They deserve due process and equal protection under the law. #LiftTheHold #LiftThePause #UscisPause #PM6020192 #PM6020194 #Immigration
