Federal court temporarily vacates DV Hold policy (PM-602-0193) — USCIS ordered to resume ordinary adjustment adjudication for certain DV applicants

On August 28, 2026, Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued an order in Medani, et al., v. Trump, et al., 26-cv-6332 (NDCA), granting in part the plaintiffs' motion for class certification and temporarily vacating Policy Memorandum PM-602-0193.

PM-602-0193, issued by USCIS, had implemented a blanket administrative hold on all adjustment of status applications filed by Diversity Visa Program selectees and derivative beneficiaries during the FY-2026 DV season, ostensibly to conduct enhanced vetting for national security and public safety purposes. The policy meant that applicants meeting all statutory criteria for adjustment could not receive adjudication under the ordinary process.

The Court held that the blanket hold likely exceeded USCIS's statutory authority and found that plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their Administrative Procedure Act claim. The court ordered USCIS "to the extent practicable and in good faith, to take all reasonable steps during the remainder of the Diversity Visa fiscal year to resume ordinary adjudication of plaintiffs' pending adjustment of status applications without applying" PM-602-0193.

The Court certified a class consisting of "all selectees and derivative beneficiaries under the FY-2026 Diversity Visa Program who are subject to the USCIS DV Hold imposed by Policy Memorandum PM-602-0193."

This ruling is a temporary vacatur pending further litigation; the case remains active in the Northern District of California.