US Judge Strikes Down Trump Visa Ban Affecting Nigeria, 74 Other Countries

A United States federal judge has struck down the Trump administration’s policy suspending the processing and issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries, including Nigeria.

US District Judge Jeannette Vargas delivered the ruling on Friday, declaring the January directive by the State Department unlawful and beyond the statutory authority of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The policy, which took effect on January 21, suspended immigrant visa issuance to nationals of the affected countries on the grounds that they were considered to be at high risk of becoming a “public charge” by relying on government assistance in the United States.

Nigeria was among the countries listed alongside Ghana, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Uganda, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia and several others.

The Trump administration had argued that the suspension was necessary to allow the State Department to review its immigration processing procedures and strengthen screening and vetting.

The government also claimed that applicants from the affected countries posed a higher risk of depending on federal, state or local welfare programmes.

However, Judge Vargas ruled that the administration could not impose a blanket suspension of immigrant visa issuance based solely on nationality.

She held that the policy conflicted with federal immigration law and exceeded the authority granted to the Secretary of State over consular processing.

“The policy, which categorically prohibits the issuance of immigrant visas based upon the nationality of the applicant, represents a direct abrogation of this statutory scheme,” the judge stated.

The legal challenge was brought by immigrant rights organisations, including the Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together, as well as US citizens sponsoring family members and visa applicants affected by the suspension.

The State Department had earlier instructed US missions to stop processing certain immigrant visas covered by the directive, citing concerns about potential welfare dependence.

The administration had also highlighted welfare-dependency statistics among immigrants from the affected countries as part of its justification for the policy.

The ruling represents another legal setback for President Donald Trump’s broader immigration agenda, which has introduced several measures aimed at tightening immigration and increasing scrutiny of foreign nationals seeking entry into the United States.

However, the ruling specifically concerns the suspended immigrant visa policy and does not mean that all US visa restrictions affecting Nigerian citizens have been removed.