Case: Doe v. United States Department of State

1:26-cv-01270 | U.S. District Court for the District of District of Columbia

Filed Date: April 15, 2026

Case Ongoing

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Case Summary

Forty-nine foreign nationals from countries including Algeria, Pakistan, Cameroon, Colombia, Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Uzbekistan, Rwanda, Guatemala, Jamaica, Brazil, Armenia, Egypt, Ghana, Jordan, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nepal, Albania, Tunisia, and Cambodia filed this lawsuit on April 15, 2026, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The plaintiffs, who are either principal applicants or beneficiaries in family-based or employment-based immigrant visa petitions, challenged a sweeping State Department policy implemented through Cable 26 STATE 3740 issued on January 14, 2026. This policy indefinitely paused the issuance of immigrant visas for nationals of 75 designated countries, effective January 21, 2026. Under the policy, consular officers were mandated to refuse all immigrant visa applications from these countries under 8 U.S.C. § 1201(g), based on the assertion that such applicants are likely to become public charges and are therefore inadmissible under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a). The plaintiffs alleged that this created a categorical, nationality-based ban rather than the individualized determinations required by law. They brought claims under federal question jurisdiction against the U.S. Department of State and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, alleging ultra vires executive action, violations of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) for acting contrary to law and in an arbitrary and capricious manner, and failure to conduct required notice-and-comment rulemaking. The plaintiffs sought declaratory and injunctive relief to vacate the policy and require individual case-by-case adjudications consistent with statutory requirements.

This case is ongoing.

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People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73193142/parties/doe-v-united-states-department-of-state/

Attorney for Plaintiff

Dawgert, Jessica (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Dawgert, Jessica (District of Columbia)

Attorney Contact Information via CourtListener

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

	Document
1 1:26-cv-01270	Complaint	April 15, 2026	April 15, 2026

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Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73193142/doe-v-united-states-department-of-state/

Last updated April 15, 2026, 11:38 a.m.

ECF Number	Description	Date	Link Date / Link
1	COMPLAINT against All Defendants ( Filing fee $ 405 receipt number ADCDC-12361186) filed by OSHANE A. DOE, NASSER E.E. DOE, JAVERIA DOE, ANEL DOE, MARCEL A. DOE, HENRIQUE C.A. DOE, AISHA DOE, AFAH H DOE, HIBA DOE, MUHAMMAD F. DOE, HAJRA DOE, SYEDA F. DOE, MEKEDES W. DOE, LUJAIN DOE, MICHELLE C.C. DOE, SHAFQAT DOE, IULIIA DOE, GUILHERME DOE, YASMINE DOE, KSENIIA V. DOE, CRUZ M.T. DOE, MUTABAZI J. DOE, PRIYANKA DOE, DEVYREL DOE, WALTER A.C. DOE, SOFIIA DOE, JENNIFER K. DOE, TEHSEEN U. DOE, GLORIA B DOE, JOHANNA C. DOE, MOHAMED A.E. DOE, ANDREY DOE, SHADLIA DOE, RATIFA DOE, AKONDIP B DOE, BIZUMUREMYI DOE, SHAKHNOZA DOE, FABIANO T.R. DOE, TIMUR DOE, GURGEN DOE, SELDI DOE, ANJELIKA DOE, ALBA C.M. DOE, OUMAIMA DOE, SYEDA R.Z. DOE, ROBIN J. DOE, SREYCHAN DOE, HOSAM O.M. DOE, ANASTASIIA V. DOE. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Exhibit A, # 2 Civil Cover Sheet Civil Cover Sheet, # 3 Summons Summons)(Dawgert, Jessica) (Entered: 04/15/2026) 1 Exhibit Exhibit A View on PACER 2 Civil Cover Sheet Civil Cover Sheet View on PACER 3 Summons Summons View on PACER	April 15, 2026	April 15, 2026 Clearinghouse
2	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice :Attorney Name- LaToya McBean Pompy, Filing fee $ 100, receipt number ADCDC-12361439. Fee Status: Fee Paid. by AFAH H DOE, AISHA DOE, AKONDIP B DOE, ALBA C.M. DOE, ANASTASIIA V. DOE, ANDREY DOE, ANEL DOE, ANJELIKA DOE, BIZUMUREMYI DOE, CRUZ M.T. DOE, DEVYREL DOE, FABIANO T.R. DOE, GLORIA B DOE, GUILHERME DOE, GURGEN DOE, HAJRA DOE, HENRIQUE C.A. DOE, HIBA DOE, HOSAM O.M. DOE, IULIIA DOE, JAVERIA DOE, JENNIFER K. DOE, JOHANNA C. DOE, KSENIIA V. DOE, LUJAIN DOE, MARCEL A. DOE, MEKEDES W. DOE, MICHELLE C.C. DOE, MOHAMED A.E. DOE, MUHAMMAD F. DOE, MUTABAZI J. DOE, NASSER E.E. DOE, OSHANE A. DOE, OUMAIMA DOE, PRIYANKA DOE, RATIFA DOE, ROBIN J. DOE, SELDI DOE, SHADLIA DOE, SHAFQAT DOE, SHAKHNOZA DOE, SOFIIA DOE, SREYCHAN DOE, SYEDA F. DOE, SYEDA R.Z. DOE, TEHSEEN U. DOE, TIMUR DOE, WALTER A.C. DOE, YASMINE DOE. (Dawgert, Jessica) (Entered: 04/15/2026)	April 15, 2026	April 15, 2026