Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump's 75-Country Visa Ban

U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas vacated a State Department policy that halted immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries. She ruled the policy was 'contrary to law and in excess of statutory authority.'

• 75 countries were affected, including Brazil, Colombia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, and Somalia.
• 30% of households from these countries received some public assistance, the State Department said.
• 11 individuals and two nonprofits filed the lawsuit in February.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued the policy in January; Vargas ruled he exceeded his authority.

Why it matters: The Immigration and Nationality Act gives consular officers — not the Secretary of State — binding authority over individual visa decisions. Vargas wrote that Congress gave those officers 'exclusive authority and discretion' to assess each applicant against specific statutory criteria. A blanket nationality-based refusal bypasses that process entirely.

• The INA also bars discrimination in visa issuance based on race, sex, nationality, place of birth, or place of residence.
• Six of the individual plaintiffs had family members refused visas; five others outside the U.S. had filed employment-based petitions.

How 20 sources split on this story

Where they split: Coverage divides on whether the ruling reflects legitimate statutory limits on executive power or is another instance of courts impeding immigration enforcement.

What’s next: The State Department said it is 'protecting the American people' through vetting but declined to address the litigation.

• A separate Trump immigration policy was struck down by a federal judge in June on similar grounds.
• Will the Trump administration appeal the ruling, and if so, to which circuit?
• How quickly will consulates resume processing visa applications for the 75 affected countries?
• Could the administration reissue a narrower policy that survives INA scrutiny?