Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump’s Racist Visa Ban Targeting 75 Nations
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A New York federal judge dismantled a discriminatory Trump-era policy that cruelly halted visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, declaring it an unlawful abuse of power.
U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas, a Biden appointee, courageously vacated a xenophobic Trump administration policy that suspended immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, and Somalia. The judge condemned the policy as 'contrary to law and in excess of statutory authority,' exposing how it exceeded the power of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and blatantly violated the Immigration and Nationality Act by denying visas without any legal justification.
Vargas highlighted that Congress entrusted consular officers—not political appointees—with the exclusive discretion to assess visa eligibility based on statutory criteria, and that the Trump administration’s blanket prohibition based on nationality was a direct assault on that legal framework.
The policy faced a challenge from two nonprofit organizations and 11 individuals, six of whom had family members torn apart by arbitrary visa denials, and five who had employment-based petitions unjustly blocked.
'We welcome this ruling because, at its heart, this case is about keeping families together,' said Anna Gallagher, executive director of CLINIC, one of the plaintiffs.
'This unlawful and racist ban caused immeasurable harm, cruelly keeping families and loved ones apart,' said Diana Konate, deputy executive director for policy and advocacy at African Communities Together.
The State Department, which issued the original directive under Trump, claimed it was protecting the United States by maintaining high screening standards, but refused to comment on the litigation. The 2020 directive ordered consular officers to halt immigrant visa applications from the listed countries, using dubious data that more than 30 percent of households with immigrants from those nations received public assistance. Non-immigrant visa applicants were also forced to prove they would not seek public benefits, further perpetuating harmful stereotypes and discrimination.