Judge strikes down Trump bar on asylum, visa processing for 39 countries

A federal judge has struck down sweeping immigration restrictions imposed by the US administration on 39 countries. The restrictions, imposed in November, effectively barred citizens from these countries from receiving final decisions on asylum cases, green cards, work approval, and citizenship applications. The judge condemned the policy, saying it threw the lives of countless immigrants into indeterminate legal limbo, citing pretextual national security concerns that mask anti-immigrant sentiments. The 39 countries are predominantly located in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.