The United States Court overturned, on Friday (21), a Donald Trump government policy that suspended the processing of permanent residence visas for citizens of 75 countries, including Brazil. Federal judge Jeannette Vargas, from the Southern District of New York, considered the measure illegal and stated that it exceeded the authority of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The policy had been announced by the State Department in January and came into effect on the 21st of that month. The suspension only affected so-called immigrant visas, intended for people who intend to live permanently in the United States, and not non-immigrant visas, used for temporary stays.
In addition to Brazil, countries such as Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand and Yemen were on the list. The measure covered nations in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the Caribbean and the Balkans.
In the decision, Vargas stated that the policy contradicted federal immigration legislation by preventing the issuance of visas based exclusively on the applicant’s nationality. According to the judge, the law gives consular officials the responsibility for individually evaluating visa applications.
With the decision, visa denials that were determined exclusively based on the suspended policy are also annulled. The US government can still appeal the decision.
Anti-immigration policy
The Trump administration had justified the suspension on the grounds that people from countries included on the list would present a high risk of depending on social assistance programs and public resources in the United States. The policy was part of the tightening of immigration rules promoted by the government since the Republican’s return to the White House.
Vargas’ decision adds to other legal defeats imposed on Trump’s immigration agenda. The new decision, according to organizations that participated in the action, represents a reaction to the attempt to establish migration restrictions based on entire countries, instead of individual analysis of requests.
With information from AFP
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
