New York Court Vacates 75-Country Visa Freeze

A federal judge in New York/Manhattan vacates the Trump-era policy suspending immigrant visa processing for nationals from 75 countries, ruling that it was unlawful and exceeded the Secretary of State’s authority. The ruling, delivered by U.S. District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas, vacates visa denials based solely on nationality and requires cases to be reconsidered under existing immigration laws, emphasizing that consular officers have exclusive authority to assess admissibility. Plaintiffs including immigrant rights groups and individuals who were denied visas argued the policy separated families and undermined the statutory framework governing visa decisions. The State Department had defended the measure as a public-charge safeguard, but the court found the policy incompatible with the Immigration and Nationality Act and the public-charge provisions. The government may appeal the decision, and the ruling marks a significant setback to the administration’s immigration crackdown with potential broader implications for visa processing.