US judge strikes down Trump-era immigrant visa ban for 75 nations

A U.S. judge has invalidated a Trump administration policy that suspended the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries. U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas in Manhattan ruled on Friday that the policy, announced in January, was "patently unlawful" and exceeded the statutory authority of the Secretary of State.

Vargas stated that the policy, which categorically prohibited immigrant visa issuance based on an applicant's nationality, ran afoul of federal immigration law. The law explicitly stripped the secretary of state of authority over consular officers' processing of immigrant visas. The State Department had justified the suspension by citing a high risk of applicants becoming a public charge and relying on U.S. government resources.

The suspended policy impacted applicants from numerous countries across Latin America, the Balkans, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. The lawsuit challenging the policy was brought by immigrant rights groups, including Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together, along with visa applicants and U.S. citizens sponsoring family members from the affected nations. The ruling comes amid an ongoing aggressive immigration crackdown pursued by President Donald Trump.