Thousands of immigrants remain stranded abroad without visas despite a federal judge ordering a January ban to be lifted, as the State Department implements new vetting procedures and families face mounting financial and emotional distress.
Dustin Hoffman and his wife Gloria began paperwork late last year to secure a visa for her to live in the United States. The couple and their children—5-year-old daughter Chaya and 12-year-old stepson Israel—were living in Argentina, where Hoffman relocated in 2013 following a military deployment to Iraq.
Hoffman wanted to return to the United States to secure better educational and developmental resources for his children. Instead, his family became caught in an international bureaucratic logjam due to continuing delays in visa processing.
Federal Court Order Fails to Stop January Visa Ban
The Trump administration banned the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries in January. The directive ensnared more than 280,000 immigrants who had already applied for visas by the time the policy took effect. According to an analysis by the libertarian think tank Cato Institute, the policy targeted thousands of close family members of U.S. citizens and permanent residents, including spouses and minor children, leading the Cato report to label it one of the most extreme legal immigration policies in U.S. history.
Some migrants had received visa approvals and were simply waiting for physical documents to be delivered when the restriction dropped. Gloria Hoffman, a citizen of Colombia—one of the 75 nations on the restricted list—was among them.
A federal judge intervened in August, ordering the ban to be lifted. Yet months later, the Hoffman family and thousands of others remain stranded abroad.
Embassies Slow-Walk Processing With New Vetting Protocols
Alexis Axelrad, president-elect of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, described the practical reality of the ongoing stalemate.
So while technically the ban doesn’t exist, it doesn’t matter practically if people are still not being able to get their green card interviews or have their interviews not be finished and not get their immigrant visa stamps foils and be able to come into the United States.
The State Department acknowledges on its website that the visa ban is no longer active due to the court ruling, but the agency informed reporters that it had paused routine visa processing in August to launch an in-depth training program for embassies and consulates. The curriculum instructs consular officers on identifying immigrants who might become public charges, subjecting even applicants with previously approved visas to renewed scrutiny and demands for additional financial evidence.
A former State Department consular officer, speaking on condition of anonymity due to employment concerns, noted the unusual nature of the stoppage.
I’ve never seen a substantial pause on visa processing … I really haven’t. The department is doing this because this is what the policy is from the president … to reduce illegal immigration, remigrate people and only accept refugees from South Africa.
The State Department declined to comment when asked about the ongoing delays, telling reporters that the matter referenced is subject to pending litigation.
Visa Processing Delays Strand Qualified Applicants
Dr. Fernando Lizcano, a Colombian biomedical researcher specializing in major cardiovascular health challenges and obesity, applied for an EB-1A visa reserved for immigrants of extraordinary ability. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services deemed him qualified, yet Lizcano remains stranded in Bogotá waiting for final State Department stamping.
Dustin Hoffman works as an Uber driver in the U.S. while maintaining a household in Argentina, watching his expenses climb amid rising fuel costs tied to geopolitical conflict in Iran. Doctors have increased his psychiatric medications as he struggles to pay both an American mortgage and foreign rent.
Let me put it this way: Our family is a family. We need to be there for each other. Just like any family, it’s not functioning very well while we’re separated.