Judge Strikes Down Trump's Visa Suspension Policy

On August 21, 2026, U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York ruled against President Trump’s visa suspension policy, which had been implemented by the U.S.

Department of State on January 21, 2026. This policy suspended immigrant visa issuance to nationals from 75 designated countries, including Nigeria.

Judge Vargas determined that the policy exceeded the statutory authority of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and violated federal immigration law.

She criticized the policy for replacing the required individual assessments with a blanket restriction based on nationality. The court ordered the policy to be vacated under the U.S.

Administrative Procedure Act, allowing immigrant-visa refusals based solely on this policy to be set aside for further proceedings. The lawsuit was initiated by immigrant-rights organizations, including the Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together, along with affected immigrant-visa applicants and U.S. citizens sponsoring family members.

While the ruling removes the nationality-based suspension, it does not guarantee visa issuance, as applicants must still meet U.S. immigration requirements.