Judge rules State Department can’t deny visas using Trump travel ban

Published August 21, 2025 5:54pm ET



A federal judge ruled on Thursday that the State Department can’t deny visas to foreign nationals on the basis of the travel ban that President Donald Trump imposed on 19 countries in June.

Although the State Department is limited in this regard, U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan for the District of Columbia determined that federal immigration authorities could still turn away foreign citizens at ports of entry or instruct airline officials to deny boarding. Foreigners can be denied entry into the United States, even though they may be eligible for visas.

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