Federal Judge Halts Visa Policy Affecting 75 Countries

Why it matters locally: Minnesota, with its significant immigrant and refugee population, could see an impact from this ruling as individuals from the affected countries may now have their visa applications processed, potentially leading to family reunifications and new residents in the state.

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A federal judge has overturned a Trump administration policy that stopped the processing of immigration visas for individuals from 75 countries. The judge determined that Secretary of State Marco Rubio surpassed the scope of his authority by implementing the policy. The court stated the policy conflicted with the Immigration and Nationality Act. The ruling specified the policy mandated the denial of visas to eligible applicants without a legal basis.