This is not a good development. Fortunately, mandamus lawsuits for work permits remain highly effective. According to a July 7 article from The Economic Times:

“Form I-765 applications, used for work authorizations, also saw a sharp backlog increase. Initial applications pending rose by 87% compared to Q1, while the total number of pending I-765s (including renewals and replacements) rose by 79%, from under 1.2 million to over 2 million. The net backlog—cases delayed beyond acceptable standards—jumped nearly 181% in this category.”