Federal judge blasts Rubio’s 75-country visa freeze as ‘Orwellian,’ strikes down policy

A federal judge ruled that Secretary of State Marco Rubio lacked the authority to deny immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries who had been found eligible. The judge ordered the policy halted. Rubio had announced the visa restrictions in January 2025. The ruling found no statutory basis for the secretary of state to unilaterally impose country-based visa denials for applicants who met eligibility requirements.

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