WASHINGTON: A US federal judge has struck down a Trump administration policy that suspended the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries, including Pakistan, ruling that the policy exceeded the legal authority of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
US District Judge Jeannette Vargas in Manhattan ruled on Friday that the State Department policy, introduced in January, was unlawful and conflicted with federal immigration law.
The policy had imposed a blanket suspension on immigrant visa processing based on the applicant’s nationality. Judge Vargas said the measure represented a direct violation of the legal framework governing the processing of immigrant visas. In her ruling, Vargas said the policy was “patently unlawful”, arguing that Congress had specifically limited the secretary of state’s authority over consular officers handling immigrant visa applications.
The suspension, which took effect in January, affected applicants from 75 countries across several regions. Besides Pakistan, the list included Bangladesh and other South Asian countries, as well as nations in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean and the Balkans. Countries affected included Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Bosnia and Albania, among others.
The State Department had justified the suspension by arguing that applicants from the designated countries were at a high risk of becoming a “public charge” and relying on government resources in the United States. The department had not immediately issued a response to the court ruling.
The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by immigrant rights organizations, including the Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together, along with immigrant visa applicants and US citizens sponsoring family members from the affected countries.
The plaintiffs challenged the administration’s decision to suspend immigrant visa issuance based on nationality. Judge Vargas, who was appointed by former Democratic President Joe Biden, ruled in favour of the challengers. President Donald Trump has pursued a broad immigration crackdown since returning to office, arguing that tougher immigration measures are necessary to strengthen US national security and protect domestic interests.
Rights groups, however, have accused the administration of violating due process and free speech protections and creating an increasingly hostile environment for immigrants and ethnic minorities. The latest ruling represents another legal setback for the administration’s immigration policies and could reopen the path for immigrant visa applicants from Pakistan and the other affected countries, subject to any further court proceedings or appeals.
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