A federal judge has ruled on Friday, August 21, to strike down the Trump administration’s ban on visas from 75 nations.
Judge Jeannette A. Vargas penned a 61-page ruling declaring that the policy went beyond Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s legal jurisdiction, calling it “contrary to law”.
The Federal District Court judge for the Southern District of New York questioned the administration’s official jurisdiction for the policy described as a “pause”, that immigrants from the targeted countries were likely to draw public benefits and become “a financial burden to Americans”.
For context, the State Department listed 75 countries that are non-European and are predominantly non-white.
The nationalities ranged from Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, including several U.S. allies, among them Jordan and Egypt.
Judge Vargas noted that U.S. officials were ordered to refuse visas to eligible immigrants who were likely to be self-sufficient, violating statute law that mandates case-by-case evaluations.
The ruling also nullifies any visa rejections based exclusively on the policy, enacted in January.
In consequence of Judge Vargas’ ruling, thousands of old visa applications may now need to be reviewed.
The Trump administration has the right to challenge the ruling by Judge Vargas to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Among those who filed the lawsuit are six U.S. citizens who say the administration’s visa ban barred their loved ones in Ghana, Jamaica, Guatemala and Ethiopia from obtaining visas to enter the U.S.
