World Cup visas expose gaps in Trump's immigration pause, judge says

A federal judge hearing the DOJ’s bid to pause a ruling lifting a halt on visa processing for 39 countries noted that the World Cup visa exemptions—allowed for participants, coaches, doctors and their families—undermine the administration’s claim that the moratorium was driven by national-security concerns. The DOJ acknowledged the exemptions exist in some contexts, and the judge contrasted the policy with post-9/11 security measures, signaling skepticism about a genuine security motive behind the broader pause as the World Cup decisions are handled by the State Department under a separate exception.