Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks USCIS Refugee Rule Through November 6: Cut of Appeal Window From 30 Days to 10 Days Put on Hold, Up to 186,000 Refugees Affected
U.S. District Judge Julia Kobick in Boston, Massachusetts, issued a temporary restraining order on October 27, 2026, blocking a rule issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on October 14 through November 6. The rule would have cut the time refugees have to contest decisions to strip them of their legal status from 30 days to 10 days, and the Department of Homeland Security had estimated it would affect as many as 186,000 refugees.
According to Reuters, refugee advocacy groups sought the order as part of a lawsuit filed on October 26 challenging the rule and a plan for a broader review of refugees. Judge Kobick said the USCIS rule should be put on hold to preserve the status quo until the case could be heard by a colleague.
Erez Reuveni of Democracy Forward, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said the decision provides meaningful protection for people who were already facing termination notices. USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler, in a statement, called the lawsuit a frivolous attempt to disrupt the Trump administration's commitment to enforce the country's immigration laws as intended by Congress.
The temporary restraining order runs through November 6, after which the case will be heard further, and whether the rule ultimately takes effect remains for the court to decide.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于 Boston 的 John Joseph Moakley 联邦法院大楼实景，该法院为马萨诸塞联邦地区法院所在地。Beyond My Ken 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，Wikimedia Commons。 / The John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse in Boston, home of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Photo by Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
