FX.co ★ Trump shuts America to foreigners, but court rules in favor of reopening borders

A federal court in Manhattan has blocked the Trump administration’s initiative to suspend issuance of immigrant visas to citizens of 75 countries. The policy, promoted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was ruled “plainly unlawful” and inconsistent with existing immigration law.

District Judge Jeannette Vargas held that Congress has explicitly stripped the Secretary of the authority to interfere with consular officers’ handling of visa applications. In her view, blocking visas solely based on nationality is a clear violation of the law.

The State Department’s January visa moratorium affected a wide list of countries across Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Balkans — from Brazil and Colombia to Bosnia and Bangladesh. The agency defended its actions by arguing that applicants from these 75 countries allegedly pose high fiscal risks and could become dependent on public resources after entering the United States. The State Department has not yet commented on the verdict and has not announced plans to appeal.

The lawsuit against the government was brought by a coalition of civil‑rights groups, including the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, and was heard by Judge Vargas, who was appointed by Joe Biden. Strict border control remains a central priority of Trump’s second presidential term, but the current court decision breaks the mechanism for collective bans. Consulates are now required to return to standard procedures, where each applicant undergoes an individual assessment of eligibility for a US visa.