U.S. judge strikes down Trump visa freeze affecting Nigerians and 74 other countries
A U.S. federal judger a Trump administration policy that suspended the processing of immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries, including Nigeria, ruling that the measure was unlawful.t
U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York issued the ruling on Friday, August 21, 2026, finding that the policy exceeded the statutory authority of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and conflicted with federal immigration law.
The policy, introduced in January, directed U.S. consular officers to pause immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries. The Trump administration justified the move by arguing that applicants from the affected countries were at higher risk of becoming dependent on U.S. public benefits.
Nigeria was among the countries affected by the suspension, alongside nations across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and the Caribbean.
In her ruling, Judge Vargas described the policy as “patently unlawful”, arguing that it improperly restricted the issuance of immigrant visas based solely on nationality and exceeded the authority granted to the State Department.
The case was brought by immigrant-rights organisations, including the Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together, as well as visa applicants and U.S. citizens seeking to sponsor relatives.
The ruling represents a significant legal setback for the Trump administration’s broader immigration agenda, which has included tighter visa screening, entry restrictions and measures aimed at reducing immigration.
However, the decision concerns the 75-country immigrant visa processing freeze and should not be confused with a separate U.S. policy that partially suspended certain visa categories for Nigerian nationals under a broader 39-country travel restriction. The State Department’s existing guidance lists Nigeria among countries subject to partial visa restrictions under that separate policy.
The latest ruling could therefore provide relief to Nigerians and other affected nationals whose immigrant visa applications were caught by the 75-country suspension, although further legal or administrative action by the U.S. government could affect how the decision is implemented.
The State Department had not publicly commented on the ruling at the time of reporting.
