US Judge Rules Trump Policy Suspending Immigrant Visas for 75 Countries Unlawful

• A federal judge in Manhattan struck down a Trump administration policy that suspended immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries
• US District Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled the State Department's suspension exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio's statutory authority
• The policy affected applicants from Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, South Asia, the Caribbean and the Balkans

A United States federal judge has struck down a Trump administration policy that suspended the processing of immigrant visas for nationals from 75 countries, ruling that the State Department had overstepped its legal authority in implementing the measure.

US District Judge Jeannette Vargas, sitting in Manhattan, delivered the ruling on Friday, declaring the State Department's suspension "patently unlawful." She found that the policy conflicted with federal immigration law, which explicitly removes the Secretary of State's authority over how consular officers process immigrant visas.

Visa suspension declared beyond Rubio's authority

The suspension, announced and enacted by the State Department in January, covered a wide range of countries across multiple regions. Among those affected were Latin American nations including Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay; Balkan countries such as Bosnia and Albania; South Asian nations Pakistan and Bangladesh; and numerous countries across Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean.

Read also

US sends first 20 deportees to African country under new deal

The State Department had justified the suspension by arguing that applicants from the designated countries carried a high risk of becoming financially dependent on local, state and federal government resources in the United States. The department had not issued a response to the ruling at the time of publication.

The YouTube video is below:

Rights Groups and Visa applicants filed the challenge

The legal challenge was brought by immigrant rights organisations Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together, alongside individual visa applicants and US citizens who were sponsoring family members from the affected countries for immigrant visas.

Judge Vargas, who was appointed by Democratic former President Joe Biden, sided with the plaintiffs, concluding that the policy had no basis in the statutory powers granted to the Secretary of State.

The ruling represents a significant setback for President Donald Trump's administration, which has pursued one of the most aggressive immigration crackdowns in recent memory. The White House has consistently framed these measures as necessary for strengthening domestic security.

Read also

Denmark identifies 3 US preachers banned from entering the country

The Facebook video is below:

Broader immigration crackdown faces continued scrutiny

Rights groups have repeatedly pushed back against the administration's immigration policies, arguing they infringe on free speech and due process protections.

Advocacy organisations have raised particular concern about the impact on ethnic minorities, with reports of racial profiling cited as part of the crackdown's broader effect on vulnerable communities across the United States.

Source: YEN.com.gh