A federal judge in New York vacated a Trump administration policy that suspended immigrant visa processing from 75 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and Somalia, on Friday. U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas said the policy was contrary to law and exceeded statutory authority. The ruling said Secretary of State Marco Rubio went beyond his power and that consular officers, not a categorical nationality ban, must decide visa eligibility. The case was brought by two nonprofits and 11 individuals, including people separated from family members and others with employment-based petitions.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally for Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Aug. 21. AP-Yonhap
A federal judge in New York has vacated a Trump administration policy that suspended the processing of visas from 75 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and Somalia, whose nationals the Trump administration deemed likely to require public assistance in the United States.
U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, set aside the policy Friday as “contrary to law and in excess of statutory authority.”
