Last Updated on August 24, 2026, 2:03 AM AST by Anthony Morris
A federal judge in Manhattan has ruled that a policy proposed by the current administration of President Donald Trump, which would have suspended immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, is illegal in the current jurisdiction. The policy goes against the mandate of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York ruled on Friday, 21 August 2026, that the Policy was “patently unlawful” and that it interfered with the statutory authority of consular officers to adjudicate immigrant visas for foreign nationals.
“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,” the judge stated in the ruling.
According to reports, Vargas was appointed to the post by former President Joe Biden. She noted in the ruling that the policy violated the statutory framework pertaining to visas as it outright prohibited issuance based on the nationality of the applicant.
The decision came after the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, African Communities Together, and other groups, in addition to individual immigrant visa applicants and US citizens seeking to sponsor family members, filed a suit challenging the policy.
The suspension also affected immigrant visa applicants from Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The list of suspended nations was broad, spanning 75 states in total, and also included Latin American countries such as Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay, Balkan nations such as Bosnia and Albania, South Asian countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh, and numerous states across Africa and the Middle East.
The State Department argued that nationals of the 75 states identified were at a high risk of becoming a public charge and should not be issued immigrant visas.
The visa suspension follows similar restrictions initiated by the Trump administration, which imposed a broader travel ban affecting 39 states that took effect on 1 January 2026, as well as a suspension of diversity visas that commenced in late December 2025.
Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne welcomed the ruling and shared a news piece on the development on his official Facebook page.
Several civil rights groups have alleged that the wave of restrictions constitutes racial discrimination and violates the due process of foreigners seeking to enter the US.
The State Department of USA is yet to comment publicly on the ruling.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
