Abdelrahim v. Edlow

On June 4, 2026, attorney Michael Fitzgerald filed a notice of appearance indicating he represents two individuals named as defendants in the case. The entry is a counsel appearance and does not reflect a court ruling or other substantive action.

Defense counsel Michael Fitzgerald filed an assented-to motion requesting an extension until June 10, 2026 to file a response/reply to the plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Injunction (docket no. 5). The entry does not indicate whether the court has granted or entered that extension.

The plaintiffs filed a motion for a preliminary injunction asking the court to set aside certain USCIS policies that they say bar adjudication of their pending immigration petitions and to order USCIS to adjudicate those petitions without considering plaintiffs’ nationality; the filing includes a memorandum, exhibits, plaintiff declarations, and a proposed order. Counsel states they conferred with government counsel on May 21, 2026 and that the government has not yet entered an appearance, and the filing includes a certificate of service.

The court assigned the case to Judge Richard G. Stearns and indicated that if the trial judge refers any matters, those will be transmitted to Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal.

The clerk assigned Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal to the case and instructed the parties to promptly submit a form indicating whether they consent to proceed before the magistrate judge. Until the parties file consent or the case is reassigned, the magistrate judge will handle all pretrial non-dispositive matters and issue reports and recommendations on dispositive matters.

The clerk issued summonses for the defendants and instructed counsel who received the notice electronically to download, complete one summons for each defendant, and serve them in accordance with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4 and Local Rule 4.1; summonses will be mailed to plaintiffs not receiving electronic notice for completion and service.

Attorney Mahsa Khanbabai filed a notice of appearance on behalf of the plaintiffs in the case. The entry reflects counsel’s formal representation but does not indicate any court ruling or hearing.

Seventeen plaintiffs filed a civil complaint on May 1, 2026 in federal court against the Director of USCIS and the Secretary of DHS challenging USCIS policies (Policy Alert PA-2025-26 and Policy Memoranda PM-602-0192 and PM-602-0194). They allege the policies impose nationality-based “negative factors” and categorical holds on certain domestic adjudications, assert mandamus, APA, statutory and constitutional claims, and seek declaratory relief, vacatur, injunctive relief, an order directing immediate adjudication of their pending applications, and attorneys’ fees.