Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Indian-American judge rejects appeal against Trump's temporary H-1B visa ban

AN appeal by 169 Indian citizens against president Trump's temporary H-1B visa ban has faced a set back in a US court.

An Indian-American federal judge has rejected an appeal by Indians against the proclamation that barred foreign nationals on H-1B specialty occupation visa from entering the US till 2020-end.


US district judge Amit P Mehta of the district court of Columbia in his order on Wednesday(16) said that Indian citizens, who are now trapped abroad during trips to India when borders were closed, are unlikely to win their case contesting the travel ban proclamation of Trump.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

The 169 Indian nationals in their lawsuit had sought an order directing the secretary of state and the US consulates to process, adjudicate, and render final decisions on Plaintiffs' DS-160 visa applications.

"Requiring such swift processing would be an exercise in futility when the complainant would remain ineligible to enter the country until January 1, 2021, at the earliest," Mehta said.

Such an order would risk diverting limited resources away from visa applicants who are eligible under an exception to the proclamation, and could create substantial confusion for visa recipients attempting to enter the country only to be denied at ports of entry, he said.

Mehta said that on the merits, the court has already determined that the Indian nationals who have filed the lawsuit and are stuck in India are unlikely to succeed on their ultra vires challenge to the proclamation, and are likely to succeed on their Administrative Procedure Act challenge that their suspension of processing their visas pursuant to the Proclamation is arbitrary and capricious.

The lawsuit was filed by Indian nationals who were recently residing in the US in lawful non-immigrant status under temporary labour petitions approved by the department of homeland security.

For various reasons, they travelled to India and now must receive visas to return to the US. Indian nationals on H-1B visas alleged that the US consular offices, acting under the direction of the secretary of homeland security and the secretary of state, has withheld the adjudication of their visa applications pursuant to the president's recently issued Presidential Proclamation 10052 (dated June 22, 2020).

It suspended the entry of foreign nationals within certain categories of non-immigrant visas. In his 11-page order, Judge Mehta noted that the visa hopefuls are likely to convince the court that the Trump administration must continue processing their visas despite the entry restrictions.

Attorneys for Indian nationals have filed a notice indicating their plans to appeal the ruling to the DC Circuit.

More For You

Covid inquiry begins probe into care home deaths

FILE PHOTO: A mother and daughter sit atop the Covid memorial wall on September 9, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Covid inquiry begins probe into care home deaths

THE Covid inquiry has started examining how the pandemic affected care services for older and disabled people, with families describing the crisis as one of the worst failures of the pandemic.

Nearly 46,000 care home residents died with Covid in England and Wales between March 2020 and January 2022, with many deaths happening in the first weeks of the outbreak.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer and Glastonbury condemn anti-Israel chants by Bob Vylan

Keir Starmer speaks to members of the media during a visit to RAF Valley, on Anglesey in north-west Wales, on June 27, 2025. PAUL CURRIE/Pool via REUTERS

Starmer and Glastonbury condemn anti-Israel chants by Bob Vylan

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer and Glastonbury organisers said on Sunday (29) they were appalled by on-stage chanting against the Israeli military during a performance at the festival by Punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.

During their show on Saturday (28), the duo chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in reference to the Israel Defense Forces, the formal name of the Israeli military.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pakistan floods

A flooded street near Station Road after heavy rainfall in Hyderabad, Pakistan, on June 27, 2025.

Getty

Pakistan reports 45 deaths from flash floods and rain in monsoon onset

AT LEAST 45 people have died in Pakistan over the past few days due to flash flooding and heavy rainfall since the beginning of the monsoon season, according to disaster management officials on Sunday.

The highest number of deaths was reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. There, 21 people were killed, including 10 children.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK Weather Alert: June Heatwave to Hit 34°C, Breaking Records

The UK is bracing for potentially one of the hottest June days on record

iStock

UK set for one of the hottest June days with highs of 34°C

Key points

  • Temperatures may hit 34°C in Greater London and Bedfordshire
  • Amber alert in place across five regions due to health risks
  • Wimbledon’s opening day to be hottest on record
  • Risk of wildfires in London labelled “severe”
  • Scotland and Northern Ireland remain cooler

Hottest June day in years expected as second UK heatwave peaks

The UK is bracing for potentially one of the hottest June days on record, with temperatures expected to reach 34°C on Monday (30 June). The ongoing heatwave, now in its fourth day, is most intense across the South and East of England, particularly in Greater London and Bedfordshire.

Although there is a small chance of temperatures hitting 35°C, they are unlikely to surpass the all-time June record of 35.6°C set in 1976.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

Probing all angles in Air India crash, including sabotage: Minister

INDIA’s junior civil aviation minister said on Sunday that all possible angles, including sabotage, were being looked into as part of the investigation into the Air India crash.

All but one of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner were killed when it crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. Authorities have identified 19 others who died on the ground. However, a police source told AFP after the crash that the death toll on the ground was 38.

Keep ReadingShow less