US Court Rejects Trump Policy Suspending Immigrant Visa Processing for Citizens of 75 Countries
A US federal court has ruled against the Trump administration’s policy suspending the processing of immigrant visa applications for citizens of 75 countries, declaring the measure unlawful.
According to an international news agency, a New York district judge ruled on Friday that the policy imposed by the US State Department exceeded the legal authority granted to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
In its ruling, the court said the visa policy introduced in January conflicted with federal immigration law and therefore could not remain in effect. The judge held that the administration lacked the legal authority to suspend immigrant visa processing on such a broad scale through an administrative decision.
The court further ruled that the Trump administration’s policy went beyond the scope of federal immigration laws.
Following the decision, the broad suspension on immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, including Pakistan, has been lifted.
Neither President Donald Trump nor the US State Department has so far commented on the ruling. Trump has repeatedly criticized court decisions that have blocked or overturned his executive orders.
### Pakistan Among Affected Countries
Pakistan was among the 75 countries affected by the policy. The list also included Bangladesh, Iran and Russia.
The Trump administration had suspended the processing of immigrant visa applications from citizens of these countries in January.
The US State Department had argued that some immigrants from these countries could become a public burden after entering the United States.
Immigrant rights organizations challenged the policy in court, prompting the New York district court to hear the case and ultimately rule against the administration’s broad suspension of immigrant visa processing.
