In her ruling, which deals yet another blow to President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration policies, New York District Court Judge Jeanette Vargas ruled that the measure “violates the law” and “exceeds the lawful authority granted to Secretary of State” Marco Rubio.
The restriction took effect on January 21 and applied to immigrant visas, as opposed to nonimmigrant visas, which allow temporary entry into the United States. It affected, among other things, applications filed by citizens of Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, Yemen, and the Republic of Moldova.
The judge’s ruling states that the State Department considered immigrants from these countries to pose a “high risk of seeking public assistance or becoming a public charge.”
The ruling also states that consular officers were instructed to deny immigrant visas even if they believed the applicant was unlikely to become a public charge and met the requirements for a visa.
The ruling, issued on Friday, overturns any visa denials based solely on this policy.
