EL PASO, TEXAS — United States citizens and U.S.-based nonprofit organizations filed a suit today, challenging the Trump State Department’s policy denying visas to applicants from 75 countries. In almost all of these countries the majority of their residents are Black, Latine, or Asian. The suit, filed in the United States District Court for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, argues that the policy violates a requirement of federal immigration law that consular officers individually assess each visa applicant. Plaintiffs ask the court to vacate the policy and block the State Department from implementing it.
In response to the lawsuit’s filing, the Protecting Immigrant Families coalition released the following statement by its executive director, Adriana Cadena.
“Being Black, Latino or Asian doesn’t make someone more likely to become dependent on government assistance, despite lies coming from the White House. That’s not how America works – at least it’s not how America should work. We applaud this legal challenge to an administration run amok. Members of Congress must demand that the Trump administration follow the law.”
