US Judge Strikes Down Trump’s Visa Ban Affecting 75 Countries, Including Pakistan
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A U.S. judge on Friday struck down the Trump administration’s ban on issuing visas to immigrants from 75 countries, including Pakistan, calling the move "patently unlawful" and contrary to Federal immigration law.
In a 61-page ruling, US District Judge Jeannette Vargas in Manhattan stated:
The policy exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s authority.
The policy, which took effect in January, imposed a blanket suspension on immigrant visa processing based on the applicant’s nationality. Judge Vargas found this to be a direct violation of the legal framework governing immigrant visas.
The suspension affected visa applicants from Pakistan and Bangladesh, as well as numerous Latin American and Balkan countries, and nations in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean.
The Policy… represents a direct abrogation of this statutory scheme, wrote Vargas.
The State Department justified the suspension by arguing that applicants from these countries posed a high risk of becoming a “public charge” and relying on U.S. government resources. The department did not immediately comment on the ruling.
Vargas, appointed by former Democratic President Joe Biden, ruled in a lawsuit brought by immigrant rights groups, visa applicants, and U.S. citizens sponsoring family members from the affected countries.
President Donald Trump pursued an aggressive immigration crackdown, which his administration claimed aimed to improve domestic security. However, rights groups argued some measures violated free speech and due process rights, and raised concerns about racial profiling.
