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39-Country USCIS Adjudication Pause Lawsuit
Update: On May 7, 2026, a federal judge in Boston issued an order to immediately LIFT the USCIS adjudicative hold on our lawsuit!
This stops USCIS from applying Policy Memorandum 602-0192 and 602-0194 to our 99 plaintiffs’ applications. The order also stops USCIS from enforcing the significant negative factor policy (Policy Alert 2025-26) to the plaintiffs’ pending applications for adjustment of status and work authorization. Although the government still has the right to appeal the decision, we’re celebrating this good news!
The onboarding period is now closed.
On December 2, 2025, USCIS issued Policy Memorandum PM-602-0192 which directed USCIS adjudicators to place pending benefit requests made by nationals of the nineteen designated “high-risk” countries into indefinite “security posture” holds.
On January 1, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued Policy Memorandum PM-602-0194 which expanded a sweeping “adjudication pause” that impacts nationals from 39 countries.
This policy effectively freezes the processing of vital immigration benefits—including the Family Petition (I-130), Adjustment of Status (I-485), Naturalization (N-400), Asylum (I-589), the Employment Authorization Document (I-765) and more —for thousands of applicants inside the United States.
Is Your Case on Hold?
If you are a national of one of the below 39 affected countries and your application has been placed on hold, you do not have to wait in silence:
Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burma (Myanmar), Burundi, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, The Gambia, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Palestinian Authority (Travel Document Holders), Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
Our Lawsuit
McBean Law is taking decisive action. Our firm is currently organizing a multi-plaintiff federal lawsuit to challenge this restrictive agency policy. Our litigation will argue that the USCIS pause is not only a departure from established law but a violation of the Administrative Procedure Act and constitutional rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
Our multi-plaintiff action will demand that the courts order USCIS to resume the lawful adjudication of your case.
The fee to join this multi-plaintiff lawsuit is $1500. You must sign a fee agreement and complete our online “Plaintiff Eligibility Form.” Lastly, you must upload a USCIS receipt notice showing that your case is currently pending.
Click here to view the Plaintiff Onboarding: Next Steps Checklist.
How to Participate
You must meet the following eligibility criteria to participate in this group lawsuit:
(1) Be physically present in the United States,
(2) Have a pending qualifying application at USCIS,
(3) You’re a national of one of the 39 travel ban countries noted above and in USCIS’s PM-602-0192 and PM-602-0194,
(4) Agree to the terms of this lawsuit, including, paying the $1500 fee to participate; and,
(5) You agree to the terms of this lawsuit, including paying the $1,500 fee to join, and
(6) You’re not a plaintiff in a similar lawsuit or mandamus action against USCIS based on the same application(s).
The lawsuit will be filed within 30 days after onboarding ends.
The attorneys preparing this lawsuit will determine the appropriate U.S. district court to file the case.
Onboarding for this lawsuit is conducted through an automated online process. Click the below link to get started. You must have your USCIS receipt notice (in the format of a PDF or PNG file) during this process.
Note: The results from joining a lawsuit varies and does not guarantee a successful outcome. Lawsuits are complex, and the outcome is determined by a federal judge. This lawsuit also does not guarantee a successful outcome for your underlying immigration case.
The onboarding period is now closed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the goal of the lawsuit?
We are seeking a federal court order to strike down this policy. We argue that USCIS does not have the authority to place an indefinite hold on applications for people already legally in the U.S. based solely on their country of birth. We aim to force the government to resume processing and adjudicating these cases immediately.
Will my personal information be made public?
Your name will appear on court filings. To avoid delays, this case will not be filed anonymously. However, sensitive details, including your alien number and other confidential information, will be removed or hidden when possible. Access to the filed documents will also be limited online to the attorneys involved in the case, although the public may still be able to view documents at the courthouse where the case is filed.
Why is this policy illegal?
The government failed to follow proper “notice and comment” procedures and the policy is “arbitrary and capricious.” USCIS is also acting beyond the powers granted to it by Congress. The policy discriminates based on nationality without a valid legal justification. It denies applicants their right to a fair and timely administrative process.
Who can join this lawsuit?
We are onboarding plaintiffs who are citizens or nationals of the 39 affected countries and have a pending application with USCIS (such as a Green Card, Work Permit, Asylum or Citizenship) that has been stalled due to this new policy.
Will joining the lawsuit hurt my immigration case?
It is illegal for the government to retaliate against you for exercising your right to sue in federal court. In fact, for many, litigation is the only way to move a case out of the “black hole” of an indefinite administrative hold. Further, the court (i.e., the judge) will provide oversight of the process to ensure that our laws are upheld.
What is the cost to participate?
Our fee to join as a named plaintiff in this multi-plaintiff action is $1,500. This is a flat fee that covers your representation within this multi-plaintiff lawsuit.
Does the fee include family members?
Yes. The $1,500 fee includes eligible derivative family members who are part of the DS-260 application, limited to a spouse and unmarried children under age 21.
Do you have a payment plan?
Yes, you may pay $750 at the time of submitting your Plaintiff Eligibility Form. The balance of $750 must be paid before our onboarding deadline.
Why join a multi-plaintiff lawsuit?
Joining a multi-plaintiff lawsuit is a strategic move that transforms an individual struggle into a collective challenge against systemic government policy.
When one person sues, the government may argue their specific background justifies a delay. However, when hundreds of plaintiffs from 39 different countries sue together, it becomes much harder for the government to justify a blanket freeze. It highlights to the judge that the problem isn’t the individuals—it’s a systemic, illegal policy.
Federal litigation is also expensive. An individual “Writ of Mandamus” lawsuit typically costs between $5,000 and $10,000 in legal fees. By joining a multi-plaintiff action, you benefit from a shared legal strategy. The $1,500 fee allows you to access high-level federal litigation—including APA and Constitutional challenges—at a fraction of the cost.
Is this a class action lawsuit?
No, this is a lawsuit that will only impact the named plaintiffs in the case.
When will the lawsuit be filed?
The lawsuit will be filed within 30 days after onboarding ends.
How long will the lawsuit take?
Litigation is unpredictable and it is difficult to estimate how long the process will take.
How do I get started?
The onboarding process for this case is now closed.
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