A US judge on Friday struck down a Trump administration policy suspending the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries, including Bangladesh, saying the policy exceeded secretary of state Marco Rubio’s statutory authority.

US district judge Jeannette Vargas in Manhattan ruled that the policy announced by the state department in January was ‘patently unlawful’ and conflicted with federal immigration law, which does not give the secretary of state authority over consular officers’ processing of immigrant visas, reports Reuters.

‘The policy, which categorically prohibits the issuance of immigrant visas based upon the nationality of the applicant, represents a direct abrogation of this statutory scheme,’ Vargas wrote.

The suspension affected applicants from Bangladesh and Pakistan in South Asia, as well as countries in Latin America, the Balkans, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean.

The state department had said applicants from the designated countries were at high risk of becoming a public charge and relying on local, state and federal government resources in the United States.

The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday’s ruling.

Vargas, appointed by former Democratic president Joe Biden, issued the ruling in a lawsuit brought by immigrant rights groups Catholic Legal Immigration Network and African Communities Together, along with immigrant visa applicants and US citizens sponsoring family members from the affected countries.

President Donald Trump has pursued a broad immigration crackdown, saying it is aimed at strengthening domestic security. Rights groups, however, have accused his administration of violating due process and free speech rights and creating an unsafe environment for ethnic minorities.