Refugee Groups Sue to Block Trump-Era Green Card Freeze and New Termination Rule

Six refugee advocacy organizations together with four individual refugees filed a class-action suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, targeting three Department of Homeland Security and USCIS policies. The policies include an indefinite suspension of green-card applications for refugees admitted between January 2021 and February 2025, a program to re-interview those refugees, and a new rule that reduces the time to respond to a notice of intent to terminate refugee status from 30 days to 10.

Plaintiffs argue the actions violate federal immigration statutes and constitutional due-process guarantees, and they have requested an immediate stay of the 10-day rule. They also seek nationwide class certification for refugees who have not adjusted status as of October 14 2026, a group they estimate runs into the tens of thousands. The complaint cites a DHS estimate of about 113,000 pending adjustment cases and notes that USCIS has processed only 121 such applications this year, a sharp drop from prior years.

The lawsuit references Operation PARRIS, a re-verification effort that has already led to detentions and transfers of refugees. The plaintiffs contend the shortened deadline does not allow sufficient time to obtain counsel or necessary documents.