AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A Manhattan district court judge ruled that the policy implemented by the U.S. State Department since January to suspend immigrant visa issuance for citizens of 75 countries was illegal. Judge Janet Vargas emphasized in her ruling that this policy contradicts U.S. federal immigration law, and that the State Department cannot entirely halt immigrant visa issuance based solely on applicants' nationality.
This policy affected citizens of countries in Latin America, the Balkans, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean.
The U.S. State Department had claimed that applicants from these countries were likely to become a "financial burden" on the U.S. government and would use public resources. The ruling came following a lawsuit filed by several immigrant rights advocacy organizations, a number of applicants, and U.S. citizens who had filed immigrant visa petitions for their family members. The plaintiffs had argued that this policy was discriminatory and violated immigrants' rights.
The Trump administration has pursued strict immigration policies, stating that their goal is to strengthen domestic security. However, human rights advocacy groups believe that these actions have harmed the legal rights of immigrants and raised concerns about discrimination against ethnic and national minorities.
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