By: Sunday Ameh
A United States federal judge has struck down an immigration policy that imposed travel and visa restrictions on citizens of 39 countries, ruling that the measures were unlawful and violated existing immigration laws.
Chief US District Judge John McConnell, sitting in Providence, Rhode Island, delivered the ruling on Friday, declaring that the immigration policies adopted by the administration of former President Donald Trump unfairly targeted immigrants from several African, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American countries.
The restrictions were introduced following a shooting incident in Washington, DC, involving an Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who was accused of shooting two National Guard members.
According to the court, the policy prevented affected individuals from obtaining immigration benefits, including visas, Green Cards, and travel documents, leaving thousands of immigrants in uncertainty despite complying with legal immigration procedures.
In a 135-page judgment, McConnell stated that the affected immigrants had done nothing wrong and should not be penalised based solely on their country of origin.
“The rule of law has to apply to everyone equally,” the judge ruled, adding that immigration authorities had failed to follow both immigration and administrative laws governing their operations.
The ruling effectively invalidates restrictions that had either fully or partially suspended immigration benefits for nationals of the affected countries.
Countries under the full suspension category included Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Mali, Niger, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and several others.
Those under partial suspension included Nigeria, Angola, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Gabon, Senegal, Tanzania, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe, among others.
The Department of Homeland Security had yet to officially react to the ruling as of press time. However, legal experts noted that the US government may appeal the decision and seek a temporary stay to prevent immediate implementation of the judgment.
The development is expected to provide relief to thousands of immigrants and visa applicants from the affected countries, many of whom have faced prolonged delays and uncertainty since the restrictions were introduced.
Observers say the ruling could have significant implications for future US immigration policies and ongoing debates over national security, migration, and equal treatment under the law.
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