A group of human rights groups has taken the Trump administration to court over a sudden suspension in processing immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, saying the move has altered established immigration rules.
The lawsuit filed in federal court in Manhattan asked a judge to issue an injunction blocking the policy, which took effect on Jan. 21.
The complaint stated that the State Department’s policy is “based on an unsubstantiated and demonstrably false claim that nationals of covered countries migrate to the United States to improperly rely on cash welfare and are likely to become ‘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 pausing broadcasting to evaluate and improve detection and investigation 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 an endocrinologist from Colombia who was approved for an employment-based visa but cannot receive it because Colombia is one of the countries subject to the policy.
The pause has affected applicants from Latin American countries including Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay, Balkan countries such as Bosnia and Albania, South Asian countries Pakistan and Bangladesh, and those from many nations in Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean.
The State Department policy does not affect visas for American visitors, which have been in the spotlight as the United States hosts the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics.
A State Department cable outlining the move and seen by Reuters said the department was undergoing a “complete review” of all policies, regulations and guidance to ensure “the highest level of vetting and verification” for all U.S. visa applicants.
The cable, sent to US missions, said applicants from the 75 affected countries “are at high risk of becoming a public charge and drawing on resources from local, state and federal governments in the United States.”
