US Federal Judge Invalidates Trump-Era Visa Ban Affecting 75 Countries, Including Iraq

A US federal judge has issued a ruling overturning a previous government decision that prohibited granting visas to citizens from 75 countries seeking permanent residency in the United States. This judgment marks a setback for former President Donald Trump's immigration campaign. In her rationale issued Friday by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Judge Janet Vargas described the decision as "unlawful." She asserted that the then-Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, had exceeded his "statutory authority" when issuing it. The decision, which came into effect in January, had resulted in the suspension of immigration visa applications for citizens of 75 countries, including Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Thailand, and Yemen. The U.S. State Department at the time justified the decision by stating it was made "to ensure that immigrants from high-risk countries do not illegally use U.S. social welfare programs and do not become a burden on public funds." However, Vargas found that consular officials were wrongly instructed to reject visas designated for immigrants based solely on the applicant's country of origin, even when applicants met all other conditions. Friday's ruling nullifies any visa rejection decision based solely on that policy, and the government can appeal it. It is noteworthy that Trump had pledged during his election campaign to deport millions of undocumented immigrants and, since returning to the White House, implemented a series of measures to expedite deportations and limit migrant crossings at the border.