Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York ruled on Friday that the policy was “patently unlawful” and conflicted with federal immigration law, Reuters reported.
According to the ruling, US law gives consular officers the authority to review and issue immigrant visas, while the Secretary of State cannot broadly suspend visa issuance based solely on an applicant’s nationality.
The suspension, which took effect in January, covered citizens of countries across Latin America, the Balkans, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. Affected countries included Afghanistan, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Bosnia, Albania, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The US Department of State had said applicants from the affected countries were at “high risk for becoming a public charge” and relying on local, state and federal government resources in the United States.
The case was brought by immigrant rights organisations, including the Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together, as well as several immigrant visa applicants and US citizens who financially support family members seeking to immigrate to the US.
Trump has imposed broad immigration restrictions since beginning his second term, saying the measures are intended to strengthen US national security and protect domestic interests.
However, rights groups have challenged several of the administration’s immigration policies, arguing that some violate constitutional protections, including due process, and raise concerns about discrimination against ethnic and racial minorities.
The US State Department had not immediately commented on the ruling.