U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas, appointed by former President Joe Biden, struck down a Trump administration visa suspension policy affecting 75 countries on Friday. The policy had halted processing of immigrant visas for nationals from countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, and Somalia, based on determinations that residents from these nations were likely to require public assistance in the United States.
Judge Vargas ruled that Secretary of State Marco Rubio exceeded his legal authority in implementing the measure, finding it contrary to the Immigration and Nationality Act. According to the decision, the policy violated congressional requirements by mandating visa refusals without a statutory basis and circumventing the discretionary authority Congress granted to consular officers. Vargas wrote that the blanket prohibition based on nationality “represents a direct abrogation” of the legal framework Congress established for visa determinations.
The case was brought by two nonprofit organizations along with 11 individuals, including six with family members denied visas and five abroad who had filed employment-based petitions. CLINIC, a national nonprofit providing immigration legal services, cited the decision as affirming family reunification principles. African Communities Together, a Harlem-based organization that also challenged the policy, characterized the ruling as a victory for the rule of law.
The State Department responded Saturday that the administration aims to protect Americans through enhanced visa screening standards and indicated it would not comment on ongoing litigation. When initially issued, the policy cited Council of Economic Advisers data suggesting over 30 percent of households with immigrants from the affected countries received some form of public assistance. This ruling represents another instance of courts blocking aspects of the Trump administration’s immigration agenda, following a June decision striking down a separate policy that made entry and residency more difficult for immigrants from multiple countries.
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