A United States federal judge has blocked a policy by President Donald Trump’s administration suspending the issuance of immigrant visas to citizens of 75 countries, including Nigeria, Russia and Rwanda.
Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York ruled on Friday that the policy exceeded the legal authority of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Vargas described the policy as “patently unlawful,” saying it conflicted with federal immigration law governing the issuance of immigrant visas.
The ruling followed a lawsuit filed by immigrant rights groups, including Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together, as well as visa applicants and US citizens sponsoring relatives from affected countries.
The visa suspension took effect in January and covered countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and the Caribbean.
Other affected countries included Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Haiti and Jamaica.
The US Department of State had defended the policy, arguing that applicants from the affected countries were at increased risk of becoming a public charge and relying on government resources.
The latest ruling is another legal setback for the Trump administration’s immigration policies, which the president has defended as necessary to strengthen US national security.
Immigrant rights organisations have continued to challenge several aspects of the administration’s immigration measures, citing concerns over due process and discrimination.
For Nigerians seeking US immigrant visas, the ruling could affect the implementation of the suspension while the legal dispute over the policy continues.