On August 22, 2026, a U.S. federal judge struck down a Trump administration policy that had suspended immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries.
The court ruled that Secretary of State Marco Rubio exceeded his statutory authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act when he ordered the freeze.
The Supreme Court's 2018 ruling in Trump v. Hawaii upheld a narrower travel ban covering 8 countries, citing broad presidential authority under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(f).
The State Department issued roughly 563,000 immigrant visas in fiscal year 2023, according to the Bureau of Consular Affairs.
The 75-nation suspension affected applicants from countries across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Caribbean, including many with existing family-based petitions already approved.