A judge invalidates Trump’s decision to ban visa issuance for citizens of 75 countries
A judge invalidates Trump’s decision to ban visa issuance for citizens of 75 countries
A U.S. federal judge has issued a ruling invalidating a government decision that bans granting visas to citizens from 75 countries who wish to settle in the United States permanently, dealing a blow to President Donald Trump’s campaign against immigration.
In the ruling issued Friday by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Judge Janet Vargas described the decision as “unlawful,” stating that Secretary of State Marco Rubio exceeded “the powers granted to him by law” when issuing it.
The decision, which came into effect in January, resulted in the suspension of visa application processing for citizens of 75 countries, including Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Thailand, and Yemen.
At the time, the State Department said the decision was made “to ensure that immigrants arriving from high-risk countries do not unlawfully use the United States’ welfare programs and do not become a public financial burden.”
However, Vargas found that consular officials were erroneously instructed to deny immigrant visas based solely on the applicant’s country of origin, even in cases where applicants met all other criteria.
The ruling on Friday nullifies any visa rejection based solely on that policy, though the government may appeal the decision.
During his campaign, Trump had pledged to deport millions of immigrants residing illegally in the country. Since his return to the White House, he has undertaken a series of measures aimed at accelerating deportations and limiting crossings by immigrants over the borders.
