A U.S. federal judge on Friday struck down a Trump administration policy that had suspended the issuance of immigrant visas to citizens of 75 countries, including Afghanistan.
Judge Jeannette Vargas of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan ruled that the policy, implemented by the U.S. Department of State in January 2026, was “clearly unlawful” and conflicted with federal immigration law.
In her ruling, the judge stated that a blanket suspension of immigrant visa issuance based solely on an applicant’s nationality exceeded the legal authority of the U.S. Secretary of State.
As a result of the restriction, citizens of Afghanistan, as well as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Bosnia, Albania, and numerous countries across Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, had faced delays in the issuance of immigrant visas.
The ruling affects immigrant visa applicants as well as U.S. citizens who had financially sponsored family members from the designated countries. The lawsuit was brought by several immigrant rights organizations.
The U.S. Department of State has not yet issued an official response to the federal court’s ruling.
The decision comes as the administration of President Donald Trump has implemented a series of stringent immigration policies across the United States. Human rights organizations have criticized some of these measures, arguing that they have heightened concerns about the treatment of immigrants and ethnic minorities.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
