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US judge strikes down Trump policy suspending immigrant visa issuance
The ruling covers applicants from 75 countries, including Brazil, Pakistan, and several African, Middle East, and Caribbean nations, after the State Department halted immigrant visas in January.
A US judge struck down a Trump administration policy that suspended the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries, finding the action exceeded the statutory authority of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to SCMP Economy.
US District Judge Jeannette Vargas said the nationality based ban “categorically prohibits” immigrant visas and is “patently unlawful,” describing it as a direct break from the statutory visa scheme.
The suspension, effective in January, affected applicants from multiple regions, including Latin American countries such as Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay, Balkan nations like Bosnia and Albania, South Asian countries including Pakistan and Bangladesh, and people from many nations in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean.
The State Department said the affected applicants were at a high risk of becoming a public charge and of relying on local, state, or federal government resources, and it did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling.