US judge strikes down Trump visa ban affecting Nigeria, 74 other countries

A United States District Court in Manhattan has nullified a controversial policy enacted by the Trump administration that suspended the processing and issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries, including Nigeria. U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas declared the January directive from the State Department "patently unlawful" in her ruling on Friday.

The judge found that the policy exceeded the statutory authority granted to the Secretary of State. The directive, which took effect on January 21, had halted immigrant visa issuance for nationals of these 75 countries. The stated reason was that these individuals posed a "high risk for becoming a public charge" and were likely to rely on U.S. government cash assistance.

The ruling stated that the policy, which categorically prohibited immigrant visa issuance based solely on an applicant's nationality, directly contradicted federal immigration law. Judge Vargas, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, highlighted that federal law explicitly removes the authority over consular processing of immigrant visas from the Secretary of State.

The lawsuit challenging the ban was brought forth by immigrant rights groups, including the Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together, alongside U.S. citizens who were sponsoring family members and visa applicants from the affected nations. The State Department had previously instructed U.S. missions to refuse applicants whose visas were approved but not yet printed, citing a need for enhanced screening and vetting to prevent exploitation of U.S. welfare systems.

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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