Policy & RulesFederal courtsKey#Entry & visa issuance

Federal Court Vacates USCIS Policies Tied to Entry Restriction Proclamations

Published Jun 12, 2026Effective Jun 11, 2026

On June 5, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island ordered the vacatur of USCIS Policy Memoranda PM 602-0192 and PM 602-0194 and Policy Alert PA 2025-26, which implemented Presidential Proclamations 10949 and 10998 restricting entry of certain foreign nationals. Final judgment was entered June 11, 2026, making the vacatur effective immediately and agency-wide. USCIS said it disagrees with the ruling but will comply pending possible further judicial review.

Key points

The case is Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island, et al. v. USCIS, et al., filed by nongovernmental organizations and labor unions.
The court vacated PM 602-0192, PM 602-0194, and PA 2025-26, which USCIS must now treat as not in effect.
These documents had implemented Presidential Proclamation 10949 (June 4, 2025) and Presidential Proclamation 10998 (December 16, 2025), both restricting entry of certain foreign nationals.
Final judgment was entered on June 11, 2026, making the vacatur effective immediately and applicable agency-wide.
USCIS stated it strongly disagrees with the court's order but will follow its terms pending possible appeal.
USCIS said it will issue updated instructions as the litigation continues.

Who is affected

Applicants, employers and attorneys dealing with USCIS cases affected by the entry restriction proclamations, as well as the organizations that brought the lawsuit.

What to do

Affected applicants and employers should watch for updated USCIS guidance, since the agency says instructions may change as the litigation proceeds.

Full text

The complete official text was archived on this site on 2026-10-12. It stays available here even if the source link changes or is removed.

Release Date

06/12/2026

On June 5, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island issued an order in Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island, et al. v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, et al., 26-cv-00132-JJM-PAS (D.RI.), vacating PM 602-0192, PM 602-0194, and PA 2025-26. The Court entered its final judgment on June 11, 2026. In this case, the plaintiffs are non-governmental organizations and labor unions who represent millions of individuals who filed immigration applications.

USCIS strongly disagrees with the Court’s order but will follow its terms pending possible further judicial review.

The Policy Memoranda and the Policy Alert were issued based on Presidential Proclamation 10949, Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals To Protect the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats, June 4, 2025, and Presidential Proclamation (PP) 10998, Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals To Protect the Security of the United States, December 16, 2025, and to address the lack of screening, vetting, and the threat to national security and public safety.

With entry of final judgment this order is effective immediately, and pursuant to the court-ordered vacatur, applies agency-wide. Thus, the vacatur applies to PM 602-0192, PM 602-0194, and PA 2025-26, which should be treated as if they are not in effect.

USCIS will issue updated instructions pending further litigation developments.

06/12/2026

Original title: Court Order on Hold Policies
Read the official source ↗ Archived copy (if the original is removed)

This summary was produced with AI from the official announcement. Only the official source is authoritative.

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