Judicial Block: Judge Halts Discriminatory Immigration Policies

A Boston federal judge has ruled that immigration policies hindering people from countries listed in Trump's travel ban from obtaining green cards and work permits are discriminatory. The preliminary injunction, prompted by a lawsuit, challenges the legality of such policies implemented by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

A federal judge in Boston, Julia Kobick, declared that U.S. immigration policies affecting individuals from countries on Trump's travel ban list are discriminatory and unlawful. This ruling comes as she issued a preliminary injunction in response to a lawsuit filed by around 200 people from 20 countries, including Iran, Haiti, and Syria.

The lawsuit targets policies set by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that have resulted in a halt on immigration-related application processing from 39 countries on the travel ban list. These measures have been criticized for treating nationalities as a negative factor, contrary to Congress's command.

The judge's decision to block these policies reflects a significant judicial stance against nationality-based discrimination. Homeland Security has not commented on the ruling, but plaintiffs' lawyer Jim Hacking regards it as a groundbreaking decision addressing the negative factor policy.