A federal court in the United States has overturned the administration of President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, including Kosovo, Albania, and North Macedonia.
U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York ruled that the decision was “contrary to law,” stating that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had exceeded his legal authority.
The measure, which took effect in January, suspended the processing of immigrant visas for nationals of 75 countries, including Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Thailand, and Yemen, Le Monde reported.
At the time, the U.S. Department of State said the measure was intended to ensure that immigrants from countries considered high-risk would not abuse U.S. public-benefit programs or become a burden on the state.
Donald Trump returned to the White House promising to deport millions of undocumented immigrants and has since introduced a series of measures aimed at accelerating deportations and reducing illegal border crossings.
The countries affected by the decision were: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Greenland, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, North Macedonia, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.
