Business
Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump’s Immigrant Visa Ban Targeting 75 Countries as ‘Patently Unlawful’
NEW YORK — A federal judge in Manhattan struck down a Trump administration policy Friday that had suspended the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries, ruling that the policy exceeded the statutory authority of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and violated federal immigration law.
U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York issued the ruling in a lawsuit brought by immigrant rights groups, along with individual visa applicants and U.S. citizens sponsoring family members from the affected countries. Vargas, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, found that the policy, implemented in January, was “contrary to law” and fell outside Rubio’s legal authority.
In her written decision, Vargas was direct in her characterization of the policy’s legal standing. “The Policy, which categorically prohibits the issuance of immigrant visas based upon the nationality of the applicant, represents a direct abrogation of this statutory scheme,” Vargas wrote, according to Reuters. The judge determined the policy ran afoul of a 1965 federal law barring nationality-based discrimination in the granting of visas, as well as a separate statutory provision that strips the secretary of state of direct authority over how individual consular officers adjudicate visa applications.
According to CNN, Vargas found that, in practice, U.S. consular officers were being directed to reject immigrant visa applications, even from applicants who could demonstrate they were financially self-sufficient, solely based on the applicant’s country of origin. The policy specifically halted permanent-residence visas for individuals seeking to join family members or take up employment in the United States, though it did not extend to nonimmigrant visas such as those issued for tourism or academic study.
A State Department cable sent by Rubio to every diplomatic and consular post worldwide, which was entered into the court record as part of the case, directed officers to refuse applicants even in cases where an applicant “provides additional evidence that demonstrates he or she overcomes the public charge refusal,” according to CNN’s review of the document. Vargas characterized the practical effect of that directive bluntly in her ruling. “The outcome is predetermined,” she wrote. “The visa will be refused.”
The State Department had defended the policy by arguing that applicants from the 75 designated countries posed a heightened risk of becoming a “public charge,” meaning they might rely on local, state or federal government assistance after arriving in the United States, according to Reuters. The suspended countries spanned a wide geographic range, including Latin American nations such as Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay; Balkan countries including Bosnia and Albania; South Asian nations Pakistan and Bangladesh; and numerous countries across Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean, according to Reuters’ reporting.
The lawsuit challenging the policy was filed by the Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together, immigrant rights organizations that joined with individual visa applicants and U.S. citizens sponsoring family members from the affected countries as plaintiffs in the case, according to Reuters.
According to reporting from SCOTUS Wire, Vargas specifically distinguished her ruling from the Supreme Court’s 2018 decision in Trump v. Hawaii, which had upheld a separate Trump administration travel ban permitting nationality-based restrictions on entry into the United States. Vargas drew that distinction on the grounds that the current policy directly restricted the issuance of visas themselves, rather than restricting entry at the border for individuals who had already obtained valid travel documents, a legal difference the judge found significant in assessing the scope of the executive branch’s authority under existing immigration statutes.
Al Jazeera’s coverage of the ruling noted that Vargas’ decision centered specifically on the question of statutory authority, finding that Congress had explicitly reserved to consular officers, rather than the secretary of state directly, the authority to adjudicate individual immigrant visa applications, a structural allocation of power the judge found the January policy had improperly overridden.
The State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the ruling, according to Reuters. As of this report, it remained unclear whether the administration intended to appeal Vargas’ decision to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, a step commonly taken by the federal government following adverse rulings on major immigration policy matters.
Friday’s ruling adds to a broader, ongoing pattern of legal challenges facing the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement priorities during its second term. The administration has pursued what Reuters described as an aggressive approach to restricting various forms of visa issuance and immigration processing since returning to office, a strategy that has repeatedly drawn legal challenges from immigrant rights organizations, state attorneys general and individual plaintiffs affected by specific policies.
The 75-country visa suspension represents one of several immigration-related policies from the current administration to face significant legal setbacks in federal court. Earlier iterations of broad, nationality-based travel restrictions pursued by the Trump administration during its first term similarly drew successful legal challenges in multiple jurisdictions before the Supreme Court ultimately upheld a narrower, revised version of that earlier travel ban in the 2018 Trump v. Hawaii decision, a precedent Vargas’ ruling explicitly distinguished from the current case.
Immigrant rights advocates involved in the litigation are likely to view Friday’s ruling as a significant victory, given the broad geographic scope of the policy the judge struck down and the explicit finding that the policy’s practical operation left consular officers with no genuine discretion to approve applications regardless of individual applicants’ financial circumstances. For families and individuals affected by the suspension, including U.S. citizens seeking to sponsor relatives for immigrant visas from any of the 75 designated countries, Vargas’ ruling would, if it stands, restore the ability to have those applications processed and adjudicated on an individual basis rather than being categorically denied based on nationality alone.
As the legal fight over the policy continues, with an appeal from the administration considered a likely next step, immigration attorneys and advocacy organizations are expected to closely monitor how quickly the State Department moves to comply with Vargas’ order and resume standard visa processing for applicants from the affected countries, pending any further action either from the administration or from a higher court reviewing the case.
Buy 4 Barron's Better Bets (Than T-Bills) Out Of 11 'Safer' August DiviDogs
The Principal Financial Group (The Principal®) is a global investment management leader offering retirement services, insurance solutions and asset management. The Principal offers businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement, asset management and insurance through its diverse family of financial services companies. Founded in 1879 and a member of the FORTUNE 500®, the Principal Financial Group has $519.3 billion in assets under management1 and serves some 19.7 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG. For more information, visit www.principal.com.
Insurance products issued by Principal National Life Insurance Co (except in NY) and Principal Life Insurance Co. Plan administrative services offered by Principal Life. Principal Funds, Inc. is distributed by Principal Funds Distributor, Inc. Securities offered through Princor Financial Services Corp., 800/247-1737, Member SIPC and/or independent broker/dealers. Principal National, Principal Life, Principal Funds Distributor, Inc. and Princor® are members of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392.
Investing involves market risk, including possible loss of principal.
Putin says Ukraine opened ’Pandora’s box’ with strikes on economic targets
A seasoned consulting specialist at a leading Central Asian bank. The author behind Novo Capital brings half a decade of experience delivering strategic insight and analysis for the bank’s clientele within the private banking branch. Launching the career back in 2020 after graduating from a top CA university, the author developed a resilient methodology forged amidst global market volatility, focusing on corporate valuation, due diligence for investment opportunities, and crafting spot-on forecasts that guide long-term investment strategy. The goal of contributing to Seeking Alpha seems to be quite simple: ideas are worth discussing, and one can gain “alpha” only through gaining out-of-consensus information from opinions few professionals have nowadays. That’s exactly the reason Novo Capital was created.
Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of SPY, NDX, XLK, SMH, IGV either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
JPMorgan Chase: Getting Paid 6.4% While Waiting For Lower Interest Rates
I’m an equity analyst and founder of Goulart’s Restaurant Stocks, a research firm focused on the U.S. restaurant industry — from quick-service and fast casual to fine dining and niche concepts. I lead all thematic research and valuation efforts, applying advanced financial modeling, sector-specific KPIs, and strategic insights to uncover hidden value across public equities. In addition to restaurants, I cover consumer discretionary, food & beverage, casinos & gaming, and IPOs, with a particular focus on micro and small caps that are often overlooked by mainstream analysts. My research has been featured on Seeking Alpha, Yahoo Finance, Mises Institute, Investing.com and other plataforms. My background combines hands-on experience in finance and business management with academic foundations. I hold an MBA in Controllership and Accounting Forensics, a Bachelor’s in Business Administration. I’ve also pursued specialized training in valuation, financial modeling, and restaurant operations (I had a brief experience as an undergraduate as a franchise partner for a regional ice cream shop).
Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
The Death of the Easy Beat: Why Classic Stock-Picking Rules No Longer Work
Hammond Power Solutions: Capacity Has Arrived Just As AI Power Demand Accelerates
Hi, I’m Yiannis. Spotting winners before they break out is what I do best.Experience: Previously worked at Deloitte and KPMG in external/internal auditing and consulting. Education: Chartered Certified Accountant, Fellow Member of ACCA Global, with BSc and MSc degrees from U.K. business schools. Investment Style: Spotting high-potential winners before they break out, focusing on asymmetric opportunities (with at least upside potential of 3-5X outweighing the downside risk). By leveraging market inefficiencies and contrarian insights, we seek to maximize long-term compounding while protecting against capital impairment.Risk management is paramount—we seek a strong margin of safety to protect against capital impairment while maximizing long-term compounding. Our 2-3 year investment horizon allows us to ride out volatility, ensuring that patience, discipline, and intelligent capital allocation drive outsized returns over time.
Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
Fans of the New York Times’ popular word-grouping game Connections have a fresh puzzle to work through for Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, marking game number 1,168 in the daily franchise. Below are hints organized by difficulty level, followed by the complete answer set for anyone ready to check their work.
Connections challenges players to sort 16 words into four groups of four, with each group sharing a hidden theme or connection. The puzzle assigns a color-coded difficulty level to each category: yellow represents the most straightforward group, followed by green, then blue, with purple reserved for the trickiest and most conceptually deceptive category of the day. Players are allowed up to four incorrect guesses before the puzzle ends and the full solution is revealed automatically. The game, created by New York Times puzzle editor Wyna Liu, launched in beta in June 2023 and has since grown into the second-most-played puzzle in the Times’ games lineup, trailing only Wordle itself in overall popularity.
According to Tom’s Guide, which rates each day’s puzzle difficulty on a five-point scale using its own Connections Companion tool, Saturday’s puzzle scored a relatively low 1.3 out of 5, indicating an easier-than-average solve compared with earlier in the week.
Here are hints for each of today’s four categories, presented from easiest to hardest.
The yellow group, the most straightforward of the day, centers on a set of common workshop tools used for cutting and shaping wood. One hint offered by puzzle solvers described it simply as “handy,” a nod to tools used to drive nails, carve wood and smooth surfaces.
The green group focuses on a specific category of fruit, distinguished by compound names that each begin with a different descriptive word attached to the same base term. One clue offered for this category noted that “summer makes them sweeter,” pointing toward warm-weather produce.
The blue group centers on settings commonly found on an adjustable garden hose nozzle, the kind used to water plants or wash a car, with each answer representing a different spray pattern. A hint circulating among puzzle solvers specifically noted, “Don’t forget to water the plants.”
The purple group, traditionally the most conceptually challenging category each day, links four well-known cultural references that all share a common trailing word. According to hints shared by solvers, the connection draws from entertainment and pop culture more broadly, spanning references from television, film and music. One clue pointed players toward well-known “Girls” references, comparing the category to groups like Destiny’s Child or the ensemble cast of the sitcom “Living Single.”
Spoiler warning: The full answer set for today’s Connections puzzle follows below.
The complete answers for NYT Connections puzzle number 1,168, published Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, are as follows:
Yellow Group — Carpentry Tools: CHISEL, HAMMER, PLANE, SAW
Green Group — Kinds of Melon: BITTER, MUSK, WATER, WINTER
Blue Group — Garden Hose Settings: CONE, JET, MIST, SHOWER
Purple Group — ___ Girls of Pop Culture: GILMORE, GOLDEN, MEAN, SPICE
The purple category proved to be the day’s trickiest grouping precisely because its connecting word, “Girls,” follows each answer rather than preceding it, and because two of the four words carried plausible alternative meanings that could easily mislead solvers. GOLDEN could reasonably be read as a descriptor tied to age or color, while MEAN might just as easily be interpreted as either “average” in a mathematical sense or “unkind” in a personal one, rather than immediately calling to mind the 2004 teen comedy film “Mean Girls.” GILMORE and SPICE, by contrast, tended to be recognized more quickly by solvers given their strong and specific associations with the television drama “Gilmore Girls” and the pop group Spice Girls, respectively.
Several of the puzzle’s other categories also included deliberate decoys designed to mislead solvers into premature groupings. The words PLANE and JET, for instance, could easily tempt players into forming an aviation-themed group together, when in fact PLANE belonged to the carpentry tools category and JET belonged to the garden hose settings group instead. Similarly, CONE might initially suggest an ice cream treat or a traffic cone to many solvers, rather than its actual role as a specific spray pattern setting found on garden hose nozzles.
For players hoping to preserve a winning streak or avoid accidentally spoiling the puzzle for themselves, Connections resets at midnight local time each day, consistent with the New York Times’ broader approach to its daily puzzle offerings, meaning today’s puzzle and its answers will remain the same for all players regardless of time zone, while a fresh puzzle becomes available starting at each individual player’s local midnight.
Kate O’Connor’s footballer boyfriend made mad dash to see her win European gold
Buy 4 Barron's Better Bets (Than T-Bills) Out Of 11 'Safer' August DiviDogs
Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton strains other calf, return unclear
-
Fashion22 hours agoWeekend Open Thread: Madewell – Corporette.com
-
Business4 days agoSMA Solar Technology AG (SMTGY) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
-
Tech5 days agoQwen3.8-27B runs frontier-class coding agents and reasoning locally, no cloud API required
-
Crypto World5 days agoOCC Greenlights Trump Family Crypto Firm for Trust Charter
-
Politics5 hours ago6 months on, Irish renters crushed by effects of government housing bill
-
Crypto World5 days agoNAVI Prime launches institutional lending framework on Sui
-
News Videos2 days agoDon’t Leave Your Financial Future To Chance | August 19, 2026
-
Business7 days agoStephen Curry Trade Rumors Persist as Warriors Insist Superstar Remains Committed to Golden State
-
Crypto World6 days agoData of 54K Wallet Users Leaked, Clarity Odds Just 10%: Hodler’s Digest, Aug. 16
-
NewsBeat8 hours agoThe ‘Lucky Dip Gang’ causing carnage for clicks: After five thugs were killed speeding in the wrong direction on a motorway, GUY ADAMS investigates a sick new trend… and why police aren’t even allowed to pursue them
-
Politics6 days agoBritain is facing a housing disaster
-
Tech6 days agoWhat are the rumors about the AirPods Pro 4?
-
Crypto World5 days agoDow’s 3-Year Winning Run Isn’t a Crash Signal, Still 49% Odds of Double-Digit Gains
-
Business6 days agoRebel Creamery files Chapter 11 with $23.8M Van Leeuwen judgment on appeal
-
Tech7 days agoDeepSeek’s innovative harness treats everything as a plug-in
-
Business4 days agoStock Market Today: Tech Futures Slide As Treasury Yields Jump; Nvidia, Micron, Sandisk Sell Off
-
Tech7 days agoThree new Windows flaws can bypass security, gain system privileges, and even install malware remotely
-
Tech6 days agoOpenAI’s new ChatGPT feature logs your keystrokes and stores them in plain text
-
Tech5 days agoStraight Up the Cliff, Yunnan’s New Fuyao Ladder Turns a Three-Hour Climb Into a 50-Second Ride for Students
-
Politics7 days agoAndy Burnham’s I’m Not Listening Tour
You must be logged in to post a comment Login