US court strikes down policy suspending immigrant visa processing for 75 nations, including Bangladesh

A US federal judge has struck down a Trump administration policy that suspended the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from Bangladesh and 74 other countries, ruling that the policy exceeded the authority of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

US District Judge Jeannette Vargas in Manhattan issued the ruling yesterday, describing the policy announced by the State Department in January as “patently unlawful” and contrary to federal immigration law.

The suspension, which took effect in January, affected immigrant visa applicants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, several Latin American and Balkan countries, as well as nations in Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean.

“The Policy, which categorically prohibits the issuance of immigrant visas based upon the nationality of the applicant, represents a direct abrogation of this statutory scheme,” Vargas wrote.

The State Department had said applicants from the designated countries were at a high risk of becoming a public charge and relying on local, state and federal government resources in the United States.

The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling.

Vargas, appointed by former Democratic President Joe Biden, ruled in a lawsuit brought by immigrant rights groups, visa applicants and US citizens sponsoring family members from the affected countries.

President Donald Trump has pursued an aggressive immigration crackdown, which his administration says is aimed at improving domestic security. Rights groups, however, say some measures have violated free speech and due process rights and raised concerns about racial profiling.