Dorcas update – federal district court denies Trump Admin’s motion to stay order

On July 15, 2026, the federal district court for the District of Rhode Island refused to grant the Trump Administration's motion to stay the order that lifted USCIS's 39-country adjudicatory pause. For background, last month the District of Rhode Island held in Dorcas Int'l Institute of Rhode Island, et al v. USCIS that USCIS must resume application and petition adjudications for foreign nationals from the 39 countries named in President Trump's two 2025 Policy Memoranda. The Trump Administration appealed the decision to the First Circuit Court of Appeals, but it also asked the federal district court to stay its order during the appeal with the First Circuit. The federal district court's refusal to do so means that the 39-country adjudicatory pause is still not in effect.

We will continue to provide updates on this lawsuit as we receive them.