A U.S. judge has struck down a Trump administration policy that suspended immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, including Pakistan. The ruling comes from U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas in Manhattan, who says the policy is unlawful because it goes beyond the statutory authority of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The policy, announced by the State Department in January, broadly blocks immigrant visas based on the applicant’s nationality. In the decision, Vargas says it conflicts with federal immigration law that removes the secretary’s authority over consular officers’ processing of immigrant visas. Outlets report the suspension affects applicants across multiple regions, including Latin America, parts of the Balkans, South Asia (including Pakistan and Bangladesh), as well as countries in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean.
The State Department had defended the suspension by stating applicants from the designated countries were at “high risk” of becoming a “public charge” and might rely on government resources in the United States. The judge’s order was issued in a lawsuit brought by immigrant rights groups and applicants seeking family-based immigrant visas. The outlets also note the broader backdrop of an aggressive U.S. immigration enforcement approach associated with the Trump administration.
