US judge strikes down Trump immigrant visa ban affecting 75 countries
A US federal judge has struck down a Trump administration policy that suspended immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries. The court ruled that the policy was unlawful and exceeded the Secretary of State's statutory authority.
Why it matters
The ruling represents a significant legal check on executive power regarding immigration policy and affects international travel and migration for citizens of dozens of nations.
A federal judge in Manhattan ruled against the State Department’s suspension of immigrant visas.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Secretary of State Marco Rubio listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable on August 7, 2026 [Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo] By Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters Published On 22 Aug 2026 22 Aug 2026 A United States judge has struck down a policy introduced by the administration of President Donald Trump suspending the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries, saying the policy exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statutory authority.
Judge Jeannette Vargas of Manhattan said in her ruling on Friday in the Southern District of New York that the policy was “patently unlawful” and conflicted with federal immigration law, which explicitly stripped the secretary of state of authority over consular officers’ adjudication of immigrant visas.
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