A U.S. judge has invalidated a Trump administration policy that suspended immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, ruling it unlawful and exceeding the Secretary of State's authority. The policy, enacted in January, had targeted individuals deemed at high risk of becoming a public charge.
The ruling restores a pathway for immigrant visa applications from numerous countries that were previously blocked, potentially impacting thousands of individuals seeking to immigrate to the United States and challenging the executive branch's ability to unilaterally suspend visa processing based on broad national categories.
A U.S. judge has invalidated a Trump administration policy that suspended the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries, deeming it "patently unlawful" and an overreach of the Secretary of State's authority.
U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas in Manhattan ruled that the policy, announced by the State Department in January, violated federal immigration law by stripping the secretary of state of authority over consular officers' processing of immigrant visas. The policy categorically prohibited visa issuance based on an applicant's nationality.
The suspended policy affected individuals from countries including Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Bosnia, Albania, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and many nations in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. The State Department had stated these applicants were at a high risk of becoming a public charge.
The ruling was issued in a lawsuit brought by immigrant rights organizations Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together, along with visa applicants and U.S. citizens sponsoring family members from the affected countries. President Donald Trump's administration had pursued an aggressive immigration crackdown, which rights groups argue has violated free speech and due process rights.