Judge Strikes Down Trump's 75-Country Visa Ban

Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York struck down the State Department's immigrant visa suspension on Friday. She ruled it was 'contrary to law' and exceeded Rubio's statutory authority.

• 75 countries were affected, covering nearly 40% of the world's nations.
• The policy took effect in January and targeted countries with high public-charge rates.
• The ruling vacates any visa denial based solely on the nationality policy.
• Denials grounded in other legal reasons remain in force, per the ruling.

Why it matters: Federal law requires consular officers to weigh an applicant's individual finances, age, health, skills, and family situation before a public-charge denial. Vargas found officers were instead ordered to refuse visas based on nationality alone, even when applicants could support themselves.

• A 1965 law bars nationality discrimination in visa issuance. A separate provision bars the secretary of state from directing individual consular decisions.
• Permanent-residence visas for family reunification and employment were halted; tourist and student visas were not affected.

How 22 sources split on this story

Where they split: The core legal dispute is whether the president's broad entry powers — upheld in the 2018 travel ban case — extend to the secretary of state directing consular officers to deny visa issuance by nationality.

What’s next: Both sides must submit proposals for resolving remaining case issues by September 11.

• The administration can appeal; the State Department has not commented on the ruling.
• How many visa denials will actually be reversed, given that some denials rested on multiple legal grounds?
• Will the administration appeal, and if so, how quickly could a higher court act?
• How does this ruling interact with the broader travel ban covering 39 countries that took effect in January?