A federal court did not rule the green card lottery completely cancelled. The title's premise is incorrect. Instead, in August 2026, a federal judge in California ruled that the Trump administration's suspension of the diversity visa program was likely unlawful and temporarily halted three of the suspension policies. The court ordered USCIS to resume processing pending applications, giving current visa holders a fighting chance—but the victory is narrow and time-limited.
The diversity visa program remains part of federal law. Only Congress can permanently end it. What has changed is the legal status of the administration's suspension, which a court found may have violated applicants' rights. For approximately 130,000 DV-2026 selectees, the decision means applications will be reviewed again, but a hard September 30, 2026 statutory deadline remains, and missing it means permanent loss of eligibility.
Table of Contents
- What the Court Actually Ruled in *Medani v. Trump
- Why Congress, Not Courts, Controls the Program
- The September 30, 2026 Deadline Is Immovable
- What Happens Next in Litigation
- What About Future Lottery Years?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What the Court Actually Ruled in *Medani v. Trump
On August 28, 2026, U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila issued a preliminary injunction in *Medani v. Trump* finding that the diversity visa suspension policies were "likely unlawful." The judge did not declare the program cancelled. Instead, the court vacated—or struck down—three specific suspension holds and ordered uscis to resume "ordinary adjudication" of pending diversity visa applications "to the extent practicable." This was not a wholesale win.
The court granted relief for applicants already in the pipeline, not a blanket restoration of the program or automatic visa issuance. Applicants still must meet all standard eligibility requirements, pass security and medical checks, and receive approval through the normal process. The ruling simply removed the blanket suspension that had been blocking review of their cases.
Why Congress, Not Courts, Controls the Program
The diversity visa program is a creation of federal statute, passed by Congress decades ago. Only Congress has the power to permanently cancel it—no executive order and no court ruling can do so unilaterally. The Trump administration suspended the program by executive action after a public safety incident in December 2025, affecting the entire DV-2026 cohort.
The court's August ruling challenged only the *suspension*, not the program's existence. A preliminary injunction means the judge found the legal challenge had merit and ordered a temporary halt to the suspension while the lawsuit continues. Future litigation may uphold or overturn parts of the policy, but only legislation in Congress could end the diversity visa program itself.
The September 30, 2026 Deadline Is Immovable
Here lies the real crisis. Congress set a statutory deadline of September 30, 2026, for all DV-2026 visa approvals. Selectees who do not receive approval by that date permanently lose eligibility, regardless of litigation outcomes or court orders. No judge can extend it. This means the *Medani* court win gives applicants only a window of weeks to have their cases reviewed and approved.
The court ordered USCIS to process applications "to the extent practicable," but the agency cannot rewrite a deadline Congress wrote into law. Applicants waiting overseas or in the U.S. in removal proceedings must assume USCIS will not process their cases after late September, even if a lawsuit is still pending.
What Happens Next in Litigation
The *Medani* case includes a status conference scheduled for September 18, 2026, to monitor USCIS compliance with the court order and determine next litigation steps. The outcome of that hearing will reveal whether USCIS is processing applications at speed and whether the court will issue further orders. The administration may appeal the preliminary injunction, and the case will continue on its merits—potentially reaching the appellate courts.
However, appeals take months or years, and the September 30 deadline will have passed long before any appeal is final. For current DV-2026 selectees, the statutory deadline, not the litigation schedule, is the controlling reality.
What About Future Lottery Years?
A separate lawsuit filed by a California law firm in September 2026 sought to restart the DV-2027 lottery but was denied. The judge ruled the plaintiff lacked standing and had waited too long for emergency relief. This ruling does not eliminate the program or foreclose future lottery draws, but it signals that courts will not easily override the administration's policy decisions on the lottery's operation.
The diversity visa program still exists in law. Whether it will be held again, suspended indefinitely, or reformed depends on executive decisions and Congressional action—not on the courts alone.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does the court ruling mean I automatically get a green card?
No. The ruling means your application will be reviewed under normal standards. You must still pass background checks, medical exams, and all eligibility requirements to receive approval.
What if my application isn't processed by September 30, 2026?
You permanently lose eligibility. Congress set this deadline in law, and no court order can extend it. USCIS has only weeks to adjudicate pending cases.
Can the administration appeal the court's decision?
Yes. The case will likely continue in appeals court, but appeals take months or years—far longer than the September 30 deadline. Litigation does not pause the statutory deadline.
Is the diversity visa program cancelled permanently?
No. Only Congress can cancel it. The court blocked the suspension policy, not the program itself. Whether future lotteries occur depends on executive action and Congressional decisions. —