US judge strikes down Trump visa ban on 75 countries

On August 22, 2026, U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas in Manhattan struck down a Trump administration policy suspending immigrant visa processing for 75 nations, ruling it "patently unlawful" and in violation of federal antidiscrimination protections. The State Department had announced the suspension in January, claiming the targeted countries posed a public-benefit risk to the United States.