U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas on Friday vacated the Trump administration’s immigrant‑visa freeze affecting nationals of 75 countries, removing the blanket denial and reopening eligibility assessments for those applicants. The ruling eliminates the policy that halted processing of immigrant visas for those nations and signals another judicial rebuke of the administration’s immigration restrictions.
Judge Vargas, a Biden appointee, found that Secretary of State Marco Rubio exceeded his statutory authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act by directing consular officers to refuse visas solely on the basis of nationality. The January order targeted countries including Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Thailand and Yemen, citing public‑charge and welfare‑use concerns.
The decision voids any denial that relied only on the 75‑country list, restoring consular officers’ discretion to evaluate each applicant against statutory criteria. Families separated by the ban can now pursue reunification, and immigration filings for the affected nations are expected to resume pending a possible government appeal.