A federal judge struck down the Trump administration’s ban on issuing immigrant visas to people from 75 countries in August, but thousands of immigrants remain stuck in their home countries, unable to come to the United States.
Attorneys representing migrants say the government is not complying with the court order and is instead slow-walking the processing of visas. The ban, implemented in January 2026, affected more than 280,000 immigrants who had already applied, including spouses and minor children of US citizens.
The Hoffman Family
Dustin Hoffman, a US Army veteran who served in Iraq, moved to Argentina in 2013. Late last year, he and his wife Gloria started the paperwork to secure a visa for her to live in the US with their two children. Hoffman moved to Houston in January, bought furniture, beds, and toys, preparing the house for his family.
Nearly a year later, Gloria and the children are still in Argentina. Gloria is from Colombia, one of the 75 countries on the banned list. Despite the court ruling lifting the ban, the State Department continues to ask for additional evidence to prove she will not become a public charge.
“Let me put it this way: Our family is a family. We need to be there for each other,” Hoffman said. “Just like any family, it’s not functioning very well while we’re separated”.
The Slow-Walking Allegation
“So while technically the ban doesn’t exist, it doesn’t matter practically if people are still not being able to get their green card interviews or have their interviews not be finished and not get their immigrant visa stamps and be able to come into the United States,” said Alexis Axelrad, president-elect of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
The State Department declined to comment, citing pending litigation. On its website, the agency acknowledges the visa ban is no longer in effect. But it told NPR in August it had paused processing as it launched an in-depth “training program” for embassies and consulates on identifying immigrants who could become a burden on taxpayers — a public charge.
The Broader Impact
According to an analysis by the libertarian Cato Institute, the ban targeted thousands of close family members of US citizens and permanent residents, including spouses and minor children. The Cato report called it “one of the most extreme legal immigration policies in U.S. history”.
The delays also affect highly skilled immigrants. Dr. Fernando Lizcano, a Colombian national whose research focuses on cardiovascular health, applied for an EB-1A visa for immigrants of “extraordinary ability.” USCIS deemed him qualified, but he is still in Colombia awaiting the State Department’s final approval.
A former State Department consular officer told NPR she had never seen a substantial pause on visa processing. “The department is doing this because this is what the policy is from the president,” she said.
The Bottom Line
A federal judge struck down the Trump administration’s 75-country visa ban in August, but more than 280,000 affected immigrants remain stuck abroad. Attorneys accuse the State Department of slow-walking processing through a new “public charge” training program. Families like the Hoffmans, separated for nearly a year, are left in limbo while the government cites pending litigation.
My Opinion
A federal judge struck down the visa ban. The State Department says it is complying. But thousands of families are still separated, still waiting, still stuck. That is not compliance. That is a workaround.
The government cannot legally ban immigrants from 75 countries anymore. So instead, it has launched a “training program” on public charge rules, paused processing, and asked for additional evidence that applicants will not become a burden on taxpayers. The ban is gone on paper but it is still in effect in practice.
The administration knows it cannot defend the ban in court, so it is doing through bureaucracy what it could not do through policy. Families are paying the price. And the government is counting on the fact that most Americans will not notice.
