A coalition of civil rights organizations, including the National Immigration Law Center, has filed a lawsuit against the State Department in federal court in Manhattan.
The suit challenges the Trump administration’s recent policy pausing immigrant visa processing for citizens from 75 countries, effective January 21.
The big picture: Plaintiffs claim the policy “eviscerates decades of settled immigration law” and is based on “unsupported and demonstrably false” assertions that nationals from these countries are likely to become “public charges.”
- The lawsuit seeks a court order to block the policy, underscoring the impact on U.S. citizens separated from family members and affected employment-based visa applicants, such as a Colombian endocrinologist.
Go deeper: The pause affects applicants from Latin American countries (including Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay), Balkan countries (such as Bosnia and Albania), South Asian nations (Pakistan and Bangladesh), and numerous African, Middle Eastern, and Caribbean countries.
- The policy does not affect U.S. visitor visas, which remain in focus due to upcoming major international events like the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.
