According to Reuters, a U.S. judge on Friday invalidated a Trump administration policy that had halted the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 nations, ruling that the measure exceeded the statutory authority of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas in Manhattan characterized the State Department’s January policy as “patently unlawful,” holding that it violated federal immigration law by impermissibly stripping consular officers of their statutory authority over the processing of immigrant visas.
“The Policy, which categorically prohibits the issuance of immigrant visas based upon the nationality of the applicant, represents a direct abrogation of this statutory scheme,” she wrote.
The State Department’s suspension, which also took effect in January, affected applicants from several Latin American countries, including Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay, as well as Balkan nations such as Bosnia and Albania.
Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and several countries across Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean were also affected.
The State Department said applicants from the affected countries faced a higher risk of becoming a “public charge” and relying on local, state or federal government resources in the United States.
The department had not immediately responded to requests for comment on the decision.
Vargas, an appointee of former Democratic President Joe Biden, issued the ruling in a lawsuit filed by immigrant rights organizations, including the Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together. The legal action was also brought on behalf of U.S. citizens sponsoring family members from the affected countries for immigrant visas, as well as the visa applicants themselves.
Backstory…
The latest ruling stems from a sweeping immigration policy introduced by the Trump administration in January 2026.
On January 14, the US State Department announced an indefinite pause on the issuance of immigrant visas to nationals of 75 countries, effective January 21. Immigrant visas are the visas issued to people seeking to move permanently to the United States, including those pursuing family-based or employment-based permanent residence from outside the country.
President Donald Trump has pursued an aggressive immigration crackdown that he says is aimed at improving domestic security.
Meanwhile, in an effort to strengthen internal security, President Donald Trump has waged an aggressive immigration crackdown.
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