{"id":155260,"date":"2026-08-24T04:56:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-23T23:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=155260"},"modified":"2026-08-24T01:21:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T19:51:24","slug":"trumps-75-country-visa-ban-struck-down-by-us-judge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/24\/trumps-75-country-visa-ban-struck-down-by-us-judge\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump\u2019s 75 Country Visa Ban Struck Down by US Judge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON, D.C.-<\/strong> The Trump administration\u2019s<\/a> suspension of immigrant visa issuance for applicants from 75 countries has been struck down by a federal judge in Manhattan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

US District Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled that Secretary of State Marco Rubio exceeded his statutory authority by imposing the policy. The decision says the suspension conflicted with federal immigration law governing how consular officers adjudicate immigrant visas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Trump\u2019s
Photo- Gage Skidmore | Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Federal Judge Rejects Trump Administration\u2019s Visa Freeze<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York ruled on Friday, August 21, 2026, against the policy that suspended immigrant visa<\/a> issuance for applicants from 75 countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The policy was implemented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in January and affected applicants across Latin America, the Balkans, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The judge found that the policy exceeded the secretary of state\u2019s statutory authority. She described the measure as \u201cpatently unlawful\u201d and said it conflicted with federal immigration law<\/a>, which limits the secretary\u2019s authority over consular officers\u2019 adjudication of immigrant visas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judge Vargas also found that a categorical policy based on an applicant\u2019s nationality conflicted with the statutory framework governing immigrant visa decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ruling therefore rejected the administration\u2019s attempt to suspend issuance across an entire group of countries rather than rely on individual visa adjudications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The visa suspension took effect in January 2026 and covered applicants from 75 countries. The affected countries included Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay in Latin America; Bosnia and Albania in the Balkans; Pakistan and Bangladesh in South Asia; and countries across Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The State Department said the affected applicants were considered to be at high risk of becoming a public charge and relying on local, state, or federal government resources in the United States. That public-charge rationale formed the stated basis for the suspension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The policy applied to immigrant visas, which are used by people seeking permanent immigration to the United States. It was separate from nonimmigrant visa categories used for temporary travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"New
Photo: U.S. Embassy India<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why Court Found Policy Unlawful<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The central legal issue was whether the secretary of state could impose a nationality based suspension that prevented immigrant visa issuance for applicants from designated countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judge Vargas concluded that federal law did not give the secretary the authority to replace the statutory visa adjudication process with a blanket prohibition based on nationality. The court’s reasoning focused on the limits Congress placed on executive authority over consular visa decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Center for Constitutional Rights, which was involved in the legal challenge, said the law requires immigrant visa decisions to be evaluated individually and that the 75 country policy improperly replaced that process with a categorical restriction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ruling also affects the legal basis for visa refusals made solely under the 75 country policy. The Center for Constitutional Rights said the court vacated and set aside visa denials based solely on the challenged ban and ordered the State Department to restore lawful, case-by-case evaluation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Digit Insurance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lawsuit Challenged the Administration\u2019s Approach<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The lawsuit was brought by immigrant rights organizations, affected immigrant visa applicants and US citizens sponsoring family members. The plaintiffs included the Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together, while legal representation involved several immigrant rights organizations and advocacy groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The case argued that the State Department had imposed an unlawful nationality-based restriction on legal immigration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plaintiffs challenged both the department\u2019s authority to impose the suspension and the departure from the individualized visa process required under federal law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al Jazeera<\/a> reported that Judge Vargas\u2019s decision directly rejected the policy\u2019s nationality-based approach and found that it represented a conflict with the statutory framework governing immigrant visa issuance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Trump\u2019s
Photo : \tGulbenk | Wikimedia Commons | https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:U.S._Citizenship_and_Immigration_Service.jpg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Part of Broader Immigration Crackdown<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Trump administration has pursued a wider immigration crackdown that it says is aimed at improving domestic security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 75-country immigrant visa suspension was one of several restrictions introduced in rapid succession during the administration\u2019s broader immigration policy campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Center for Constitutional Rights, the suspension followed a broader travel ban covering 39 countries that took effect on January 1, 2026. That measure restricted or suspended entry and visa issuance for nationals of the designated countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The administration also paused diversity visa issuance in December 2025. The State Department announced on December 23 that it was pausing issuance of diversity immigrant visas while it reviewed screening and vetting procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 39-country travel restrictions, the diversity visa pause and the 75-country immigrant visa suspension were separate measures. The lawsuit<\/a> addressed in this ruling focused specifically on the 75-country policy that took effect on January 21, 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Image
Photo: The White House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Civil Liberties Concerns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rights groups have argued that the administration\u2019s broader immigration crackdown raises constitutional and civil liberties concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those groups have pointed to possible violations of free speech and due process rights and have raised concerns about racial profiling, particularly affecting minorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those concerns are broader than the legal question decided in the 75 country visa case. Judge Vargas\u2019s ruling focused on whether the State Department had the statutory authority to impose the nationality-based immigrant visa suspension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"US
Photo: Customs and Border Protection<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What Happens After Ruling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The ruling removes the legal basis for the challenged 75 country immigrant visa freeze and supports a return to individual case by case consideration for affected applicants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Center for Constitutional Rights said applicants whose visas were denied solely because of the policy should be able to continue the immigration process under lawful procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The decision does not resolve every immigration restriction introduced by the Trump administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The separate 39 country travel ban and the December 2025 diversity visa pause were outside the scope of the lawsuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The State Department had not commented on the ruling at the time of the initial reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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New US Visa Policy Brings 4-Year Cap for International Students<\/a><\/blockquote>