A coalition of civil rights and immigrant advocacy groups has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the controversial U.S. policy that freezes green cards and immigrant visa issuance for citizens of 75 countries, arguing the measure is unlawful and discriminatory. The legal complaint, filed on Feb. 2 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, contends the policy violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Immigration and Nationality Act by creating a blanket bar on lawful immigration based on nationality.
The freeze, which took effect on Jan. 21 and applies to immigrant visas processed at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide, halts final green card approvals even for applicants who have already been interviewed and cleared consular review. Plaintiffs include U.S. citizens separated from spouses and family members and highly skilled professionals from countries such as Colombia who had employment-based visas approved but cannot now enter the United States.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs argue the administration’s public-charge justification — that applicants from affected countries are more likely to become dependent on public benefits — is unsupported by evidence and amounts to an unlawful nationality-based ban, contravening constitutional equal protection norms. The State Department defends the policy as a temporary pause to enhance vetting and prevent fraud, but critics say it upends decades of settled immigration practice and unfairly targets people from Africa, Latin America, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East, news as reported.
