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| The Southern District of New York courthouse in Manhattan.. Source: MGR Reporting |
A U.S. federal judge in Manhattan ruled Friday that the Trump administration's policy suspending immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 nations, including Nigeria, is "patently unlawful," striking down the measure in a major judicial setback for the White House's immigration enforcement policy.
District Judge Jeannette Vargas of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York declared that Secretary of State Marco Rubio exceeded his statutory authority when imposing the categorical restriction.
According to legal coverage from the Investing.com Economic News Report, Judge Vargas emphasized that federal immigration law explicitly restricts the executive branch from issuing blanket prohibitions on immigrant visas based solely on an applicant's nationality.
The State Department implemented the visa suspension policy in January, barring prospective immigrants from dozens of countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe.
The State Department implemented the visa suspension policy in January, barring prospective immigrants from dozens of countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe.
Administration officials defended the policy at the time by claiming that applicants from the affected 75 nations presented a heightened risk of utilizing public assistance benefits upon entering the United States.
As reported by Tasnim International Coverage, the lawsuit challenging the directive was filed by immigrant advocacy organizations, including the Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together, alongside individual U.S. citizens sponsoring family members from affected countries.
As reported by Tasnim International Coverage, the lawsuit challenging the directive was filed by immigrant advocacy organizations, including the Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together, alongside individual U.S. citizens sponsoring family members from affected countries.
The court's order lifts the categorical freeze on processing, restoring standard individual eligibility evaluations for immigrant visa applicants.
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