U.S. Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump’s 75-Country, also concerning Georgia Visa Ban

U.S. Federal Judge has struck down a Donald Trump administration order banning the issuance of visas to citizens of 75 countries, including for citizens of Georgia, The New York Times reported.

Trump’s decision also concerned Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The ruling from the Southern District of New York found that the policy went beyond Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s legal authority.

In a 61-page ruling, Judge Jeannette A. Vargas of the Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York disputed the administration’s public rationale for the policy, billed as a “pause,” that immigrants from the targeted countries were likely to draw public benefits and become “a financial burden to Americans.”

In fact, Judge Vargas found, U.S. officials were ordered to refuse visas to eligible immigrants who were likely to be self-sufficient, in violation of a statute that requires individualized assessments. An internal State Department cable made public as evidence in the case instructed consular officers to deny visas even when visa applicants provided “additional evidence that demonstrates he or she overcomes the public charge refusal.”

Most of the 75 countries on the list are states from Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, including U.S. allies such as Jordan and Egypt.

Neither the Justice Department nor the White House immediately responded to requests for comment.

The administration could appeal the ruling by Judge Vargas, who was appointed by President Joseph R. Biden Jr., to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.