Judge questions federal delay in restarting diversity visa processing after court order

Senior U.S. District Judge Edward Davila, who issued a partial injunction on Aug. 28 to resume diversity visa processing, questioned why the State Department waited almost two weeks to issue guidance and restart interviews. Counsel Curtis Morrison told the court that applicants were denied interviews in Paris and Kigali on Thursday and that all September interviews had been canceled, jeopardizing the fiscal-year deadline.

U.S. Attorney Nag Young Chu explained the cancellations were tied to a training program and not a direct response to the court order, adding that a cable was sent to consulates with instructions on prioritizing the affected applicants. Davila warned that the required restart within three to seven days would be a “herculean feat” and ordered status hearings three times a week through September. The case stems from a class action filed in June that names senior officials, including Donald Trump and Stephen Miller, as defendants over policies that placed indefinite holds on diversity visa applications.