Judge Strikes Down Visa Suspension for 75 Countries
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U.S. Judge Strikes Down Trump Policy Suspending Immigrant Visas for 75 Countries
A U.S. judge has struck down a Trump administration policy that suspended immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries. The ruling came on Friday and found that the policy went beyond Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s legal authority.
U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas, sitting in Manhattan, called the policy “patently unlawful.” She said it conflicted with federal immigration law, which specifically strips the secretary of state of authority over how consular officers process immigrant visas.
In her ruling, Vargas explained that a blanket ban based purely on an applicant’s nationality goes against the legal framework Congress set up for immigrant visas. She described the policy as a direct departure from that framework.
The suspension, announced by the State Department in January, cast a wide net. It touched applicants from Latin American countries like Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay. It reached Balkan nations such as Bosnia and Albania.
South Asian countries including Pakistan and Bangladesh were affected too, along with many nations across Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean.
At the time, the State Department justified the move by arguing that applicants from these countries were more likely to become a burden on public resources. The department has not yet responded to a request for comment on the ruling.
Vargas, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, issued the ruling in a lawsuit brought by immigrant rights groups. The Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together led the case.
They were joined by immigrant visa applicants and by U.S. citizens sponsoring family members from the affected countries.
The ruling lands amid a broader immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump, which he has defended as necessary for domestic security.
Rights groups see it differently. They argue the crackdown has infringed on free speech and due process, and has left ethnic minorities feeling unsafe, with some raising concerns about racial profiling.
By: Reuters
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