World
Civil rights groups sue Trump administration over immigrant visa pause
A group of civil rights organizations on Monday sued the State Department over its recent policy halting the processing of immigrant visas for citizens from 75 countries. The lawsuit argued that the policy “eviscerates decades of settled immigration law.”
The complaint, filed in federal court in Manhattan, sought a judge to order the department to block the policy, which took effect on January 21.
It alleged that the State Department’s rationale for the pause was based on an unsupported and demonstrably false claim: nationals from certain countries migrate to the United States to improperly rely on cash welfare benefits. The lawsuit claimed these individuals are likely to become “public charges.”
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The suit was brought by the National Immigration Law Center and other groups on behalf of US citizens who have been separated from family members due to the policy, as well as an endocrinologist from Colombia who was approved but cannot receive a visa because Colombia is among the affected countries.
Other plaintiffs include applicants from Latin American countries like Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay; Balkan nations such as Bosnia and Albania; South Asian countries including Pakistan and Bangladesh; and many nations in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean.
The State Department’s policy does not impact US visitor visas, which have been at the center of attention due to upcoming major international events hosted by the United States. These include the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games.
A cable from the State Department, seen by Reuters, detailed the rationale for the pause. It stated that applicants from the 75 countries subject to the policy “are at a high risk for becoming public charges and recourse to local, state, and federal government resources in the United States.”
The lawsuit seeks judicial intervention to halt this policy, which has affected visa applications across various regions and communities.