A U.S. federal court voided the Donald Trump administration's policy restricting residence and entry for immigrants from 39 countries, calling it an "abuse of authority." The court found that discriminatory immigration policies based on nationality are unlawful. Experts said the ruling puts the brakes on the tightening of immigration thresholds that continued after the Trump administration took office.
According to the AP on the 6th (local time), U.S. District Court Chief Judge John McConnell Jr. on the 5th ruled invalid the Trump administration's policies that made it harder for immigrants to reside and enter. Chief Judge McConnell criticized U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for abusing its authority and ignoring the law. He said, "USCIS made baseless decisions and did not consider applicants' reliance interests at all," adding, "It invoked the pretext of national security to conceal anti-immigrant sentiment." He continued, "USCIS's actions are arbitrary and capricious," and "they have plunged countless immigrants' lives into uncertain legal limbo."
The administration moved to dismiss the suit, saying it was "delegated broad discretion," but the court rejected the request. A Spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees USCIS, also did not comment.
Earlier, after an Afghan national was arrested as a suspect in a National Guard shooting near the White House in Washington, D.C., in November last year, the Trump administration sharply tightened immigration restrictions on that basis. Under the measure, immigrants from 39 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East saw final decisions on asylum, green cards and citizenship applications uniformly denied.
The ruling is expected to have a positive impact on all pending cases at USCIS involving immigrants from countries subject to the entry ban. Immigration groups welcomed the decision. Sky Perryman, CEO of Democracy Forward for the plaintiffs, said, "This reaffirms the principle that the federal government cannot block lawful immigration pathways or discriminate based on country of origin," adding, "This unlawful policy has inflicted enormous harm on families, workers and asylum seekers." Jamal Abdi, president of the National Iranian American Council, also said, "The administration has set a precedent that it cannot arbitrarily block immigration benefits based on country of origin."
However, asylum screenings for immigrants stopped at the border fall under the jurisdiction of immigration judges and are not affected by this ruling. Despite pushback from immigrant groups, the Trump administration is expected to continue tightening entry and exit standards.