A federal judge in the United States has invalidated a Trump administration policy that halted the issuance of immigrant visas to nationals of 75 countries, including Nigeria.
In a ruling delivered on Friday, US District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas held that the State Department’s nationality-based directive was unlawful and went beyond the authority granted to Secretary of State Marco Rubio under federal immigration law. The judge said immigrant visa applications must be assessed individually by consular officers rather than refused solely because of an applicant’s nationality.
The policy took effect on 21 January 2026 amid a State Department review of immigration screening procedures. The department said the measure was intended to prevent the admission of people considered likely to become dependent on public benefits. Although affected applicants could still submit applications and attend interviews, their immigrant visas were not being issued under the policy.
The legal challenge was brought by the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, African Communities Together, affected visa applicants and US citizens sponsoring relatives. Judge Vargas set aside visa refusals based solely on the policy and directed the State Department to return to case-by-case consideration of applications.
Other countries affected included Ghana, Cameroon, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Brazil, Colombia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Jamaica. The decision applies to the January public-charge suspension and should not be interpreted as automatically cancelling separate US travel or visa restrictions. The State Department had not publicly responded to the judgment at the time of reporting.
