A U.S. federal judge has struck down a government ban on visas to nationals from 75 countries who wish to settle in the country indefinitely, dealing a blow to U.S. President Donald Trump ‘s immigration crackdown.
But Ms. Vargas ruled that consular officers were wrongly ordered to refuse immigrant visas solely based on an applicant’s country of origin, even if they had determined the applicant was otherwise. Friday’s ruling vacates any visa denial based solely on the policy. The government can appeal the ruling.
The policy, which came into force in January, suspended the processing of immigrant visas to nationals of 75 countries including Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Thailand and Yemen. Earlier reporting noted: A US judge on Friday struck down a Trump administration policy suspending the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries, saying that the policy exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statutory authority.
In a ruling issued on Friday (August 21, 2026) in the Southern District of New York, Judge Jeannette Vargas called the policy “contrary to law” and said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had exceeded his “statutory authority” in issuing it. At that time, the State Department had said the decision was made “to ensure that immigrants from high-risk countries do not unlawfully utilise welfare in the United States or become a public charge. Earlier reporting noted: “Patently Unlawful”: US Judge Strikes Policy Suspending Immigrant Visa For 75 Nations “Patently Unlawful”: US Judge Strikes Policy Suspending Immigrant Visa For 75 Nations “Patently Unlawful”: US Judge Strikes Policy Suspending Immigrant Visa For 75 Nations Earlier reporting noted: President Donald Trump has pursued an aggressive immigration crackdown that he says is aimed at improving domestic security. President Donald Trump has pursued an aggressive immigration crackdown that he says is aimed at improving domestic security.
