News|Donald Trump‘False narrative’: Families challenge Trump’s 75-country US visa suspensionLawsuit argues Trump administration is misusing claims of ‘public charge’, ‘discriminating’ against residents of 75 countries.
Washington, DC – A lawsuit has been filed against the United States government challenging the suspension of immigrant visa processing for 75 countries by the administration of President Donald Trump.
Washington, DC – A lawsuit has been filed against the United States government challenging the suspension of immigrant visa processing for 75 countries by the administration of President Donald Trump.
The complaint, submitted on Mon, Jan 15, 2026, contends that the visa processing suspension is based on inaccurate claims, marking one of the most significant legal immigration restrictions in U.S. history.
The lawsuit asserts that the policy constitutes an unlawful nationality-based ban on legal immigration, introducing discriminatory public charge rules that undermine lawful processes. The National Immigration Law Center, among other groups, supports this legal challenge, arguing that the administration's claims about immigrants becoming 'public charges' are unfounded.
The State Department has described the suspension, announced in mid-January, as a pause on immigrant visa processing for countries whose migrants reportedly rely on welfare at unacceptable rates. However, the criteria for selecting these countries remain undisclosed.
Affected countries include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Brazil, Colombia, Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Somalia, Russia, and others from the Middle East, Caribbean, Pacific, and Eastern Europe.
However, the criteria for selecting these countries remain undisclosed.
Non-immigrant visas, such as business and tourist visas, are not affected.
The lawsuit, supported by over a dozen organizations and individuals, argues that the policy misuses the 'public charge' provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which should be determined individually rather than broadly applied. The INA prohibits discrimination in visa issuance based on race, sex, nationality, place of birth, or residence.
The plaintiffs include U.S. citizens who had petitioned for their family members, and foreign nationals approved for immigrant visas via specialized employment channels.
Legal representatives, such as Hasan Shafiqullah from The Legal Aid Society, describe the policy as arbitrary and harmful to families seeking reunification. They emphasize its disproportionate effect on individuals from Africa, the Middle East, South and Central Asia, and Eastern Europe.
The State Department has not commented on the pending litigation. Previous legal challenges have resulted in temporary pauses on some immigration issues under the Trump administration.
In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a visa processing ban on several Muslim-majority countries. Unlike the current suspension, which cites 'public charge' concerns, the 2018 ban was justified on national security grounds.
Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.