U.S. Department of State Continues Restrictive Immigration Policies as Administration Technically Circumvents Judicial Ruling | WPN World People News

On the 21st, U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas in Manhattan, New York, ruled that the Trump administration's policy suspending visa interview appointments and the issuance of immigrant visas across 75 countries worldwide was "patently unlawful." The ruling stated that the restrictive policy substantially exceeded the statutory authority of the Secretary of State and infringed upon consular officers' authority to adjudicate visas. However, on the 24th, the Department of State announced a worldwide suspension of visa interview appointments at U.S. embassies and consulates and directed consular officers to pause all visa adjudications, claiming it was to accommodate an "internal review and public charge rule training program" launched across global diplomatic posts. Citing internal State Department documents, the Associated Press reported on the 24th that the Trump administration is planning another unprecedented, hardline immigration control measure: revoking the non-immigrant visitor and business visas (B1/B2 visas) of up to 200,000 foreign nationals who have already applied for asylum in the U.S. This plan was officially confirmed on the 25th in a statement by State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott.

Spearheaded by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the restrictive policies aim to conduct a comprehensive review and overhaul of immigration procedures to screen out applicants who might require U.S. social assistance and become a "public charge" after entry. The affected regions include Afghanistan, Russia, Iran, as well as multiple Latin American and African nations. Since its implementation, the ban has plunged tens of thousands of immigrant applicants worldwide and their families in the U.S. into severe legal limbo and distress. Now, the Department of State is citing official training—without disclosing specific training curricula or a definitive timeline—as what is effectively a tactical maneuver to circumvent the judicial ruling.

The successive waves of immigration policies have triggered widespread panic and anxiety among asylum seekers. While it may not lead to immediate deportation, revoking their visas strips them of their original lawful status. On the 26th, immigrant rights groups—including plaintiffs such as the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), African Communities Together (ACT), and the National Immigration Law Center (NILC)—formally filed an emergency motion to enforce the court order, accusing the administration of blatantly defying the judicial ruling. Plaintiff attorneys condemned the government for using "internal training" as a pretext to persist with a ban already declared unlawful, attempting to evade legal constraints while continuing to inflict irreparable harm on affected immigrant communities. [Reported and compiled by Reporter Lin Yiran]