Legal Action Against Immigration Freeze
Multiple organizations linked to George Soros and his Open Society Foundations are taking legal action to prevent President Donald Trump’s administration from halting immigration from 75 nations that heavily depend on welfare and contribute significant numbers of immigrants to the U.S.
On Monday, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, along with several other groups, filed a lawsuit aimed at stopping the Trump administration from freezing visa processing for numerous countries noted for high welfare consumption in the U.S.
The State Department recently announced that it would “pause the processing of immigrant visas from 75 countries whose immigrants rely excessively on welfare benefits from American taxpayers.” The suspension is intended to remain until the U.S. can ensure that incoming immigrants do not financially burden American citizens.
Among the claims made in the lawsuit, the organizations argue that the visa freeze targeting nations like Afghanistan, Somalia, South Sudan, and Iraq is rooted in racism.
“The ban and related announcements are arbitrary and capricious, significantly affecting immigrants of color seeking visas and families of U.S. citizens looking to reunite. Over 85 percent of the countries impacted by this ban are non-European, with large non-white populations. The few European countries included are primarily from southeastern Europe, known for their diverse minority groups,” the lawsuit asserts.
The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, which is leading the lawsuit, has received funding from Soros’ Open Society Foundations, totalling $650,000 between 2016 and 2021.
Additionally, the National Immigration Law Center, which is providing legal assistance for this case, has also received substantial funding from Soros’ network, amounting to millions. The Legal Aid Society, another supporter in this matter, secured $50,000 in funding from the Open Society Foundations in 2017.
The Center for Constitutional Rights is also participating in this legal action. It has reportedly received $5 million from the Open Society Foundations in 2021, totaling over $7.2 million since 2016.
Recently, President Trump disclosed welfare statistics associated with immigrant demographics in the U.S., indicating the financial impact of legal immigration on American taxpayers. The data highlighted that, for instance, more than 81 percent of immigrant households from Bhutan are on welfare, with similar high dependency rates for households from Yemen, Somalia, the Marshall Islands, the Dominican Republic, and Afghanistan.
This lawsuit is officially titled Catholic Legal Immigration Network vs. Rubio, case number 1:26-cv-00858, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
