NEW YORK — A federal judge has struck down a Trump administration policy that indefinitely suspended the processing of immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries, ruling that the measure unlawfully based eligibility on nationality. U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York said the policy exceeded the statutory authority of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and conflicted with provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act that require visa applications to be assessed through the established consular process. The ruling followed a lawsuit brought by immigrant advocacy organizations, visa applicants and U.S. citizens whose relatives were affected by the suspension.

The State Department introduced the suspension in January, citing concerns that immigrants from the affected countries could become dependent on public assistance after entering the United States. The policy applied to countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and other regions, including Afghanistan, Brazil, Colombia, Haiti, Iran and Somalia. Under the policy, immigrant visas could be withheld even when individual applicants otherwise met legal requirements and consular officials determined that they were eligible. Vargas ruled that the nationality-based suspension improperly displaced consular officers from their role in evaluating individual applications and vacated visa denials made solely under the policy.