US judge strikes down Trump immigrant visa ban affecting 75 countries

What the report says

A federal judge in Manhattan has blocked a Trump administration policy that had suspended the issuance of immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries. According to Al Jazeera, Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York found that the measure went beyond Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s legal authority and conflicted with federal immigration law. The ruling was issued on Friday in a lawsuit brought by immigrant rights groups and visa applicants.

Al Jazeera reported that the case was filed by Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together, alongside people seeking immigrant visas and US citizens sponsoring family members from the affected countries. The suspended program, which began in January, covered countries in Latin America, the Balkans, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. The State Department had said the applicants were considered at higher risk of becoming a public charge and relying on government resources in the United States.

The decision is another setback for President Donald Trump’s broader immigration crackdown, which his administration has said is intended to improve domestic security. Rights groups have argued that several of the measures raise civil liberties concerns, including possible violations of due process and protections against discrimination. As reported by Al Jazeera, the State Department had not commented on the ruling at the time of publication.