Milan, Aug. 22 (LaPresse) – A US federal judge has overturned the ban that the Trump administration had imposed in January on immigrant visas for people from 75 countries, ruling that the move is “contrary to law” and beyond the statutory authority of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. CNN reports this. In January, the State Department had suspended the issuance of immigrant visas from nearly 40% of the world’s countries – including Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Haiti, Somalia and Russia – with a measure that, according to the administration, would have prevented the entry of people who would have “used social assistance and public benefits.” Judge Jeannette Vargas of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan challenged the justification provided by the State Department in support of its measure, overturning any visa denial based solely on that justification. Under US law, a migrant may be denied entry as a potential “public charge” only after a consular officer has assessed the person’s financial situation, age, health, skills and family circumstances. But Judge Vargas found that, in practice, US officials had been ordered to deny visas to applicants, including those who were able to support themselves, based solely on their country of origin. The visa ban blocked permanent residency visas for people joining family members or accepting a job in the United States, but did not apply to nonimmigrant visas, such as tourist or student visas. Under US law, a migrant may be denied entry as a potential “public charge” only after a consular officer has assessed the person’s financial situation, age, health, skills and family circumstances. But Judge Vargas found that, in practice, US officials had been ordered to deny visas to applicants, including those who were able to support themselves, based solely on their country of origin. The visa ban blocked permanent residency visas for people joining family members or accepting a job in the United States, but did not apply to nonimmigrant visas, such as tourist or student visas.
US: Judge overturns Trump’s halt on visas for migrants from 75 countries
Milan, Aug. 22 (LaPresse) – A US federal judge has overturned the ban that the Trump administration had imposed in January on immigrant visas for people from 75 countries, ruling that the move is “contrary to law” and beyond the statutory authority of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. CNN reports this. In January, the State Department had suspended the issuance of immigrant visas from nearly 40% of the world’s countries – including Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Haiti, Somalia and Russia – with a measure that, according to the administration, would have prevented the entry of people who would have “used social assistance and public benefits.” Judge Jeannette Vargas of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan challenged the justification provided by the State Department in support of its measure, overturning any visa denial based solely on that justification. Under US law, a migrant may be denied entry as a potential “public charge” only after a consular officer has assessed the person’s financial situation, age, health, skills and family circumstances. But Judge Vargas found that, in practice, US officials had been ordered to deny visas to applicants, including those who were able to support themselves, based solely on their country of origin. The visa ban blocked permanent residency visas for people joining family members or accepting a job in the United States, but did not apply to nonimmigrant visas, such as tourist or student visas. Under US law, a migrant may be denied entry as a potential “public charge” only after a consular officer has assessed the person’s financial situation, age, health, skills and family circumstances. But Judge Vargas found that, in practice, US officials had been ordered to deny visas to applicants, including those who were able to support themselves, based solely on their country of origin. The visa ban blocked permanent residency visas for people joining family members or accepting a job in the United States, but did not apply to nonimmigrant visas, such as tourist or student visas.