Lagos: A federal court in the United States (US) has reportedly reversed the suspension of immigrant visas to Ghana and 25 other African countries:
According to Ghana Web, the federal judge who presided over the case, Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York, ruled the policy was illegal. She also ruled that the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, abused his power in implementing the policy.
A US federal judge has overturned a Trump administration policy that suspended immigrant visas to 75 countries - including 26 African nations. Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York ruled the policy 'patently unlawful' and said it exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio's authority. The report stated that the suspension of immigrant visas, which took effect on January 21, 2026, had blocked visa issuance because applicants from the affected countries were at "high risk for becoming a public charge" on US welfare systems.
The African countries affected included Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Rwanda, and DR Congo - among others. Some of the non-African countries affected include Somalia, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Brazil, and Thailand, among others. A memo reportedly instructs US embassies to deny visa applications under existing laws while the State Department conducts a review of its screening and processing procedures. No timeline has been given for when the reassessment will be completed.
The suspension came amid a broader immigration crackdown under Republican President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January. In November 2025, Trump vowed to 'permanently pause' migration from what he described as 'Third World countries' following a shooting near the White House by an Afghan national that killed a National Guard member.