US Court Blocks Visa Suspension Policy Affecting Bangladesh and 75 Other Countries
Published : 11:24, 22 August 2026
US federal court has struck down the Trump administration’s policy suspending immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, including Bangladesh, ruling that Secretary of State Marco Rubio exceeded his legal authority in implementing the measure.
US District Judge Janet Vargas issued the ruling on Friday (August 21) in Manhattan.
In her ruling, Judge Vargas described the policy implemented by the US State Department in January as “plainly unlawful” and inconsistent with the country’s immigration laws. She said the secretary of state does not have the authority to broadly suspend immigrant visas based solely on an applicant’s nationality.
The policy, which took effect in January, suspended immigrant visa issuance for citizens of 75 countries. Besides Bangladesh, the list included Pakistan, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Bosnia and Albania, along with several countries from Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean.
At the time, the US State Department argued that citizens of the affected countries were at comparatively higher risk of becoming dependent on government assistance and public benefits after moving to the United States.
However, the court rejected the legal basis for such a blanket restriction. Judge Vargas ruled that suspending immigrant visas on the basis of nationality violated the existing legal framework.
The Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together filed the lawsuit challenging the policy. The plaintiffs included immigrant visa applicants from the affected countries as well as US citizens seeking to bring family members to the United States.
The US State Department did not immediately comment on the ruling.
Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has introduced a series of restrictive immigration measures. His administration has said the policies are intended to strengthen national security, while human rights and immigrant advocacy groups have criticized them as discriminatory and harmful to immigrants.
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