Lawsuit Challenges Immigrant Visa Pause for 75 Countries

A coalition of immigration advocacy organizations and individuals filed a lawsuit on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, challenging the Trump administration's State Department policy that has suspended processing of immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries. The suit, Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc. v. Rubio, seeks a court order to block the indefinite pause, which took effect on January 21 and applies to green cards for family reunification, employment, and other immigrant categories.

The policy halts the final issuance of immigrant visas for nationals of the affected countries, even after approvals and interviews, while the State Department conducts a review of its public charge criteria. Officials stated the measure addresses concerns that immigrants from these nations are likely to rely on U.S. public benefits, citing data on welfare usage among existing migrant households. For instance, more than 81 percent of households from Bhutan, 75 percent from Yemen, 72 percent from Somalia, and 68 percent from Afghanistan receive such assistance, according to figures released by the administration last month. The department...