US Green Card: Relief for Ghanaians, Other Foreigners as Federal Court Strikes Down Blanket Pause
- A US federal court has delivered a major win for many immigrants, including Ghanaians, whose green cards were frozen by the Trump administration
- Maryland District Judge George L. Russell III ruled that the US immigration agency did not have the authority to indefinitely suspend green card applications
- The court also directed the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to restart work on the applications of 83 individuals involved in the court case
Ghanaians and other foreign nationals seeking US green cards are in relief after a federal judge ruled on American President Donald Trump's travel ban policy.
Source: Getty Images
A US federal judge recently ordered the Trump-led administration to resume processing certain green card applications that had been paused under a travel ban policy.
The judge ruled that immigration authorities could not indefinitely pause green card applications from immigrants linked to countries under travel restrictions, calling the policy unlawful and ordering the government to resume processing certain cases.
The decision comes as positive news for Ghanaians and other nationals from countries affected by travel restrictions who have been waiting for years to adjust their status.
What was the federal court judge's ruling?
In his 39-page ruling, Maryland District Judge George L. Russell III found the decision by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to place a pause on green card applications was unlawful and affected many people already living in the country.
He wrote:
"USCIS does not have discretion to decide not to adjudicate at all."
The federal agency, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), had previously halted the processing of green cards for nationals from countries affected by President Trump's expanded travel ban, which affected 39 nations.
The judge also directed the USCIS to restart work on the applications of 83 individuals involved in the court case.
Judge Russell emphasised that many of the affected individuals had lived in the US for years, maintained legal status, and contributed to the economy.
The ruling also clarified that delays due to administrative backlog were permissible, but a blanket, open-ended suspension was not.
Why did Trump freeze green card applications?
President Trump and his administration froze green card applications after making presidential proclamations that expanded travel restrictions under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The decision was part of the administration's plan to limit other nationals' entry into the United States from countries identified as posing security threats.
The policy stopped issuing green cards for applicants from 39 countries impacted by travel restrictions and visa requirements and affected many individuals, including those who were already lawfully residing in the US.
Ghana at risk of UK visa restrictions
Reform UK, a political party in the UK, has taken a tough stance against countries pushing for reparations for the slave trade.
The party announced that it would impose visa bans on Ghanaians and other nationals of these countries, supporting the move for reparations.
The leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, in a video shared on X, labelled the demands for reparations as ludicrous, claiming it would cost the UK trillions of pounds.
Source: Getty Images
According to him, the UK played a key role in ensuring the abolition of the slave trade; hence, calls for reparations are unwarranted.
He then stressed that Ghana and countries pushing this agenda will not be issued visas to the UK under a Reform UK government and hoped the calls for reparations by these countries will come to an end.
US government re-vets green card-holding migrants
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the US government announced that they would re-vet migrants holding green cards.
According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the decision would affect people who were granted immigration benefits during the Biden administration.
Source: YEN.com.gh
