A group of rights groups sued the Trump administration over a sudden halt in immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, saying the move upended established immigration rules.
The lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court asked a judge to issue a court order blocking the policy, which took effect Jan. 21.
The complaint asserted that the State Department’s policy is “based on an unsubstantiated and patently false assertion that nationals of affected countries migrate to the United States to inappropriately rely on cash welfare and are at risk of becoming ‘public charges.’
“A visa is a privilege, not a right,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement, adding that the visa policy prevents billions of dollars in waste, fraud and abuse.
“The department is suspending issuance to evaluate and improve screening and vetting procedures – but we will never stop fighting for American citizens first,” Pigott said.
The lawsuit was filed by the National Immigration Law Center and other groups on behalf of a wide range of plaintiffs, including U.S. citizens who say they have been separated from family members because of the policy.
Another plaintiff is a Colombian endocrinologist who was granted a work visa but cannot obtain it because Colombia is one of the countries subject to this policy.
The pause affected candidates from Latin American countries including Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay, Balkan countries such as Bosnia and Albania, South Asian countries Pakistan and Bangladesh, as well as those from many countries in Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean.
The State Department policy does not impact U.S. visitor visas, which are in the spotlight as the United States hosts the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics.
A State Department cable describing the decision seen by Reuters says the department is conducting a “comprehensive review” of all policies, regulations and guidelines to ensure “the highest level of screening and vetting” for all U.S. visa applicants.
The cable, sent to U.S. missions, says applicants from the 75 affected countries “are at high risk of becoming a public charge and requiring local, state, and federal government resources in the United States.”
