US Court Strikes Down Immigrant Visa Suspension for Citizens of 75 Countries
World
A US federal court has struck down a policy that suspended the issuance of immigrant visas to citizens of 75 countries, including Uzbekistan. The court ruled that the State Department policy exceeded the statutory authority of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and conflicted with federal immigration law.
The ruling was issued on August 21 by US District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas of the Southern District of New York. She described the policy as “patently unlawful,” finding that it effectively restricted immigrant visa issuance on the basis of an applicant’s nationality.
The suspension was introduced by the US State Department in January 2026. The department justified the measure by arguing that applicants from the listed countries faced a heightened risk of becoming dependent on US government resources. The policy covered countries across Latin America, the Balkans, South and Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. The list included Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, as well as Russia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The lawsuit was brought by immigrant rights organizations, immigrant visa applicants and US citizens sponsoring relatives seeking to move to the country. The court found that automatically restricting visa issuance based on nationality conflicted with the statutory requirement for individualized consideration of visa applications.
The US State Department has not yet commented on the ruling. The administration may appeal the decision.
The suspension was introduced by the US State Department in January 2026. The department justified the measure by arguing that applicants from the listed countries faced a heightened risk of becoming dependent on US government resources. The policy covered countries across Latin America, the Balkans, South and Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. The list included Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, as well as Russia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The lawsuit was brought by immigrant rights organizations, immigrant visa applicants and US citizens sponsoring relatives seeking to move to the country. The court found that automatically restricting visa issuance based on nationality conflicted with the statutory requirement for individualized consideration of visa applications.
The US State Department has not yet commented on the ruling. The administration may appeal the decision.
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