A controversial visa freeze targeting Nigeria and 74 other countries has suffered a major setback after a United States federal judge struck down the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration policy.
US District Judge Jeannette Vargas, sitting in Manhattan, ruled that the decision to halt immigrant visa processing for citizens of the affected countries went beyond the powers granted to Secretary of State Marco Rubio under US immigration laws.
The judge described the policy as “patently unlawful”, arguing that the government could not block visa issuance solely because of an applicant’s nationality.
According to Reuters, Vargas said the move contradicted federal immigration rules by interfering with the role assigned to consular officers in processing immigrant visa applications.
The January directive had placed a temporary freeze on immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, including Nigeria, Brazil, Colombia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ghana, and several nations across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and the Caribbean.
The Trump administration had defended the restriction, claiming applicants from the affected countries were more likely to depend on public resources after entering the United States.
However, immigrant rights groups challenged the policy in court, arguing that it unfairly targeted people based on their nationality and violated immigration rights.
The lawsuit was filed by organisations including the Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together, alongside visa applicants and Americans sponsoring relatives from the affected countries.
Judge Vargas, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, ruled in favour of the challengers, delivering a blow to Trump’s aggressive immigration agenda.
The administration has repeatedly said its immigration crackdown is aimed at protecting US security and preventing abuse of the country’s immigration system.
But critics have accused the government of creating policies that disproportionately affect minorities and immigrants.
Full List of Countries Hit by the Suspended Visa Ban
The 75 countries affected by the now-blocked policy include:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
Why Trump Administration Picked These Countries
The administration argued that immigrants from the listed countries posed a higher risk of relying on government assistance after arriving in America.
But critics questioned the basis of the claim, pointing out that the countries affected are largely from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe — regions with predominantly non-white populations.
Rights groups accused the government of using immigration rules to create a discriminatory system that unfairly singles out certain nationalities.
Do Immigrants Automatically Get US Welfare Benefits?
Experts and rights advocates have pushed back against claims that immigrants immediately become a burden on government resources.
Many immigrants are restricted from accessing several public benefits when they first arrive in the US and may only qualify for some programmes after meeting specific legal requirements or becoming citizens.
Supporters of immigration also argue that immigrants contribute significantly to the American economy through work, taxes and spending, helping to fund public services used by citizens and residents alike.
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