Judge halts Trump’s 75-country immigrant visa ban in landmark ruling

A Manhattan federal judge struck down the Trump administration’s 75-country immigrant visa ban, ruling it violated federal law and exceeded the secretary of state’s authority by effectively denying visas based on nationality rather than an individual’s finances or qualifications. The decision, which allows for potential appeals, found that officers were ordered to refuse visas from these countries even when applicants could support themselves. The ruling notes that the ban affected family- and job-based visa applicants from nations across regions and clarifies that nonimmigrant visas were not impacted.