A federal judge in Manhattan has invalidated an immigration policy that suspended visa processing for individuals from 75 countries. Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled on Friday that the State Department exceeded its legal authority in implementing the suspension, calling the measure “patently unlawful” and incompatible with existing federal immigration statutes.
The policy, which took effect in January, prevented visa issuance to applicants from nations across Latin America, the Balkans, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. The Trump administration had justified the suspension by arguing that applicants from these countries posed elevated risks of becoming financially dependent on government assistance programs.
The legal challenge was brought by immigrant advocacy organizations Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together, alongside affected visa applicants and U.S. citizens attempting to sponsor family members from the designated nations. According to Judge Vargas’s decision, the policy violated statutory provisions that specifically limit the secretary of state’s authority over immigrant visa determinations made by consular officers.
The ruling represents one of several legal obstacles to the administration’s broader immigration enforcement agenda, which has included additional travel restrictions and a halt to diversity visa issuance in recent months. Civil rights advocates have characterized these measures as violations of constitutional protections and have raised concerns about potential discriminatory effects on minority populations.
Originally reported by Aljazeera →
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