US judge strikes down visa ban for 75 countries and rules on fraudulent record

A U.S. federal judge has struck down a Trump administration policy that suspended the issuance of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, including Brazil, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled the policy was ‘patently unlawful’ and exceeded the statutory authority of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, noting it violated federal law by discriminating based on nationality.

The suspension, which aimed to prevent individuals from becoming a ‘public charge,’ was challenged by immigrant rights groups. The ruling asserts that consular officers must maintain authority over visa adjudication and that nationality cannot be the sole basis for refusal.

Separately, a U.S. federal judge has identified a fraudulent immigration record used by Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF) to justify the 2024 preventive detention of former presidential aide Filipe Martins. Judge Gregory A. Presnell ruled that a record claiming Martins entered the U.S. in late 2022 was false, noting that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) acknowledged the error.

Martins had been detained for approximately six months on suspicion of flight risk. His defense provided evidence, including domestic flight records and geolocation data, to prove he remained in Brazil. The judge has ordered the CBP to provide documentation to clarify how the incorrect information entered the system.