NEW YORK, United States: A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to resume immigrant visa processing for people from 75 countries after blocking a nationality-based US visa freeze.
U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled Friday that the policy interfered with consular officers’ authority to decide whether individual applicants qualify for visas.
The administration introduced the processing halt in January. It targeted nationals of countries whose applicants the government considered more likely to become a “public charge” by relying on public benefits.
Vargas also found that applying the restriction to all nationals of the affected countries, regardless of their income or financial circumstances, conflicted with federal immigration antidiscrimination protections.
Two nonprofit groups and 11 individuals brought the lawsuit. Six plaintiffs had relatives whose visa applications were rejected under the freeze, while five others had filed employment-related petitions.
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Amaha Kassa, executive director of African Communities Together, welcomed the ruling. He argued that officials should assess visa applicants individually rather than base decisions on their nationality.
A State Department spokesperson declined to discuss the litigation but said the administration was maintaining strict screening and vetting standards.
The January policy did not cancel visas already issued and did not apply to nonimmigrant categories such as tourist or student visas. It primarily blocked new immigrant visas based on family or employment grounds. The nationals of the affected countries account for 40% to 45% of U.S. immigrant visas.
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The Associated Press also reported that officials had cited government data showing more than 30% of immigrant households from targeted countries received some form of public assistance.
