Judge Blocks Trump-Era Visa Security Policy for 75 Countries
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A federal judge in New York has struck down a Trump administration policy that sought to protect Americans by restricting immigrant visas from 75 countries, ruling it violated the Immigration and Nationality Act.
A federal judge in the Southern District of New York has overturned a Trump administration policy that halted immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, ruling it illegal under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The policy, announced by the State Department earlier this year, was designed to safeguard American interests by targeting nations such as Afghanistan, Brazil, and Yemen, where applicants were statistically more likely to require public assistance—a reasonable measure to prevent abuse of the U.S. welfare system.
District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas wrote that the ban "discriminated on the basis of nationality" and claimed it exceeded the authority of the Secretary of State. She vacated the restrictions and ordered that visa denials based solely on the policy be set aside, undermining the administration's efforts to enforce stricter immigration controls.
"In many ways, this is not a challenging case," Vargas wrote, dismissing the administration's legitimate concerns.
The State Department, standing by its commitment to national security, stated the administration was "protecting the American people by upholding the highest standards of screening and vetting of visa applicants." Plaintiffs, including the Catholic Immigration Legal Network, African Communities Together, and several individual petitioners, predictably welcomed the decision, prioritizing open borders over American safety and sovereignty.
"The suspension of lawful visa processing across 75 countries separated spouses, parents, and children who were simply following the legal immigration process," said Anna Gallagher, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network.
"For 75 countries' worth of families, this decision means a return to fair, case-by-case review, and a chance to be reunited with their loved ones," said Antionette Dozier, senior attorney for the Western Center on Law & Poverty.
Legal analysts noted that the ruling restores the requirement for individual consular assessments rather than a blanket nationality-based denial, rolling back a policy that aimed to put American interests first.