Trump's travel ban violated the law, according to a court ruling, as the State Department illegally withheld visas.

Judge Orders Expedited Processing of Diversity Visas in Travel Ban Case

In a significant ruling, Judge Sparkle Sooknanan, appointed by President Joe Biden, has determined that the Trump administration unlawfully withheld visas from 76 individuals selected for diversity visas due to a travel ban.

Sooknanan, who previously served in the U.S. Department of State, emphasized the gravity of the situation for the plaintiffs. These individuals had won the lottery and were randomly selected from millions of people worldwide. They now stand to lose this opportunity, as the ban could potentially impact approximately 29,000 individuals from countries covered by the travel ban who won the diversity visa lottery in 2024.

The travel ban, instituted by President Donald Trump in June, affected individuals from 19 countries. Two of the 84 individuals involved in the lawsuit had their visas formally denied, while the remaining applications were either in processing or stalled.

Sooknanan ordered the State Department to expeditiously process and approve the remaining 82 applications. However, she was unable to direct the State Department to reverse the decisions on the two denied visas.

The ruling comes after the State Department sought to deny visas to people barred by presidential action. Sooknanan found this to be "turning away from the text of any statute." She also cited a precedent set by the Supreme Court last year that prohibits federal agencies from relying on their own interpretations of the law to make policy.

The lawsuit argued that the Trump administration stalled, refusing to process visa requests before Sept. 30, when the eligibility of these individuals to receive a visa through the program is set to expire. Sooknanan rejected the government's argument that the State Department should be allowed to act on Trump's order and ignore pending applications from countries on the list.

The individuals affected by the president's order could still be denied admission to the country at a port of entry for various reasons, with limited recourse. This has upended the lives of those who won the diversity visa lottery during Trump's presidency.

Diversity visas offer a pathway to permanent residency and 55,000 are granted every fiscal year to people from countries with low immigration rates to the United States. Many people apply for diversity visas for decades without ever winning, making the opportunity a significant one for the affected individuals.

The court's authority is severely limited, and the individuals might ultimately be turned away from the country despite Sooknanan's order. However, the ruling could have broader implications for the approximately 29,000 others from countries covered by the travel ban who won the diversity visa lottery in 2024.

Trump's travel ban violated the law, according to a court ruling, as the State Department illegally withheld visas.