US court overturns Trump administration's immigrant visa ban on Ghana and 25 other African nations

Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York ruled the Trump administration's policy, which took effect on January 21, 2026, as "patently unlawful" and stated that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio exceeded his authority in implementing it. The policy had blocked visa issuance to applicants from affected countries due to a perceived "high risk for becoming a public charge" on US welfare systems. The African countries impacted included Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Rwanda, and DR Congo.

Non-African countries such as Somalia, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Brazil, and Thailand were also affected. This suspension was part of a broader immigration crackdown under Republican President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January. In November 2025, President Trump had pledged to "permanently pause" migration from what he termed "Third World countries" following a shooting incident near the White House.

A memo reportedly instructs US embassies to deny visa applications under existing laws while the State Department reviews its screening and processing procedures, with no timeline provided for completion.