Judge Strikes Down Trump's 75-Country Visa Ban

A federal judge ruled this week that the Trump administration's ban on issuing visas to citizens of 75 countries was illegal, finding it discriminated on the basis of nationality in violation of US immigration law. The policy had been justified on the grounds that nationals of those countries were likely to require public assistance — a rationale the court rejected as a pretext for blanket nationality discrimination. The ruling is a significant legal setback for the administration's immigration agenda, though the White House is expected to appeal and may seek emergency stays. The ban had blocked visa processing for citizens of roughly a third of the world's countries simultaneously.