On July 6 the immigration law blog MyAttorneyUSA reported that the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island has compelled USCIS to comply within 24 hours with a June 5 vacatur that struck down four policies freezing decisions on asylum, adjustment of status, employment authorization and naturalization for nationals of 39 countries subject to entry restrictions. Judge John J. McConnell Jr. wrote that “there is no excuse this time” after plaintiffs showed the agency was still withholding approvals. USCIS has filed a notice of appeal but, absent a stay, must resume adjudications immediately. The ruling affects thousands of corporate transferees whose I-485 or EAD cards stalled over the past six months, especially from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Employers should expect a batch release of long-pending EADs and should monitor for retroactive start-date corrections. Practitioners caution that the government may seek an emergency stay from the First Circuit; if granted, approvals issued in the interim would stand but new filings could again be paused. For now, mobility managers should flag any employees whose cases were “on hold” and liaise with counsel to push for expedited completion before appellate action.
Source: MyAttorneyUSA immigration news
