A United States federal judge has struck down a Trump administration policy that suspended immigrant visa processing for citizens of Nigeria and 74 other countries, ruling that the State Department exceeded its legal authority by imposing a blanket restriction based on nationality.
U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas delivered the ruling in Manhattan on Friday, declaring the policy, announced by the State Department in January, “patently unlawful.”
The judge found that Secretary of State Marco Rubio lacked the statutory authority to direct consular officers to categorically suspend the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from the affected countries.
The policy had targeted applicants from 75 countries across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, South Asia, the Middle East and other regions. Nigeria was among the affected countries, raising concerns among citizens seeking to join family members or pursue permanent residence in the United States.
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The suspension focused on immigrant visas, rather than ordinary visitor, business or other non-immigrant visa categories.
The Trump administration had justified the measure partly on concerns that immigrants from the listed countries could become dependent on public benefits.
However, Judge Vargas ruled that federal immigration law did not permit the State Department to suspend visa issuance wholesale on the basis of an applicant’s nationality.
The case was brought by immigrant rights organisations, including the Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together, alongside affected visa applicants and U.S. citizens seeking to sponsor relatives. The plaintiffs argued that the policy unlawfully interfered with the statutory framework governing the processing of immigrant visas.
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The ruling is a significant legal setback for the Trump administration’s broader immigration agenda and restores the normal legal framework for immigrant visa processing for nationals of the affected countries, including Nigeria, unless the decision is stayed or overturned on appeal.
As of the latest reports, the State Department had not immediately commented on the ruling.
For Nigerians, the decision could provide relief to families and prospective immigrants whose applications were affected by the suspension.
However, the ruling does not automatically remove all other U.S. immigration or travel restrictions, as separate policies affecting particular visa categories or nationalities may remain subject to different rules.
The case also reinforces a broader legal question surrounding the limits of executive authority over immigration.
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While the U.S. government retains wide powers over border control and visa policy, Judge Vargas’ ruling makes clear that those powers must operate within the authority granted by Congress and the framework established under federal immigration law.
Whether the Trump administration will appeal the decision remains unclear. For now, however, the court’s ruling represents a major reprieve for citizens of Nigeria and the other 74 countries covered by the invalidated policy.
