A group of 83 immigrants living legally in the United States filed a federal lawsuit Sunday accusing U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of freezing their green card applications under President Donald Trump’s latest nationality-based restrictions on immigration benefits.
The complaint, Saghafi et al. v. Edlow (8:26-cv-00100-GLR), was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland’s Southern Division and assigned to Judge George Levi Russell III. The plaintiffs — 57 principal applicants and their spouses and children — seek declaratory and injunctive relief plus a writ of mandamus to force USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow to resume processing their pending Form I-485 applications to adjust status to lawful permanent residents.
Most plaintiffs hail from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iran, Syria or Venezuela, countries targeted by the policies, though two derivative applicants are from Argentina and Canada but caught in the hold because of their spouses’ nationalities. Many are skilled professionals, including eight cancer doctors and researchers with approved employment-based petitions such as EB-1 or EB-2 National Interest Waivers, as well as asylees and Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders.
The suit challenges two USCIS policy memos: PM-602-0192 from Dec. 2, 2025, titled “Hold and Review of all Pending Asylum Applications and all USCIS Benefit Applications Filed by Aliens from High-Risk Countries,” and PM-602-0194 from Jan. 1, 2026, extending the freeze to additional high-risk countries. The memos, tied to Presidential Proclamations 10949 and 10998, halt adjudication of nearly all benefits for nationals of 39 countries plus the Palestinian Authority, regardless of U.S. entry date.
Plaintiffs argue USCIS has a mandatory duty under the Immigration and Nationality Act and Administrative Procedure Act to decide properly filed I-485s within a reasonable time and cannot indefinitely pause them based on national origin. The complaint lists seven counts, including mandamus, unlawful withholding, arbitrary and capricious action, lack of notice-and-comment rulemaking, INA nondiscrimination violations, Fifth Amendment equal protection and ultra vires claims beyond INA Section 212(f) authority.
The indefinite holds have stalled careers, job offers, travel and family plans despite applicants following all rules and paying fees, the suit says. Some had interviews where officers signaled approval only for holds to intervene; others face expiring work permits, like an H-1B cancer researcher due to end in May and an engineer unable to join GE Aerospace. Blocking “national interest” professionals harms U.S. security, economic and public health goals, plaintiffs contend.
Attorney Curtis Morrison of Red Eagle Law in Bonsall, California, represents the plaintiffs. “Trump’s restrictive immigration policies have evolved to prevent people with lawful status, who have done things ‘the right way,’ from obtaining green cards based upon their nationality,” Morrison said in an email tip. “There’s no way this is in our national interest. In fact, eight of our plaintiffs are cancer doctors and/or researchers. I missed the part of ‘America First’ where our cancer doctors would be denied green cards so they can work lawfully.”
Motions for a preliminary injunction and expedited discovery are due by day’s end Monday. The complaint demands USCIS adjudicate all I-485s within 30 days and bar the nationality holds for these plaintiffs.
Kishor Panthi
View More PostsKishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
