No Borders NewsA federal court in New York ruled against a Trump administration policy that treated people from 75 countries differently for immigrant visa processing. The policy was described as a blanket, nationality-based “public charge” ban.
The court said the ban went beyond what the Secretary of State is allowed to do under immigration law and regulations. It also found the policy violated a federal law that bars nationality discrimination when issuing visas.
In the decision, the judge vacated and set aside visa denials that were based solely on this ban. The court also ordered the U.S. State Department to return to lawful, case-by-case evaluation of visa applications rather than applying the blanket restriction.
The groups behind the challenge said the policy caused families to be separated and delayed reunification. They described the ruling as a step toward restoring fair processing for people whose visa applications were affected.
The National Immigration Law Center and other organizations said they will continue seeking appropriate relief for those harmed by the policy. For the exact legal reasoning and the order’s details, readers should check the court decision linked from the official announcement.