Trump Plans to ‘Permanently Pause’ Migration from All Developing Nations
President Donald Trump unveiled extensive measures aimed at tightening immigration controls, asserting that existing policies have undermined national advancement and declaring his intention to “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the US system to fully recover.” In a pair of Truth Social posts late Thursday night in Washington, Trump stated he would terminate “millions” of admissions under his predecessor Joe Biden, “remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country” and “denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility.” He stated that he would also terminate all federal benefits for non-citizens. “These goals will be pursued with the aim of achieving a major reduction in illegal and disruptive populations, including those admitted through an unauthorized and illegal Autopen approval process,” Trump stated, referencing the Biden administration. “Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation.” Trump failed to offer any details regarding the implementation of these policies or to clarify what he considers a “third world” country, a vague and derogatory term often applied to developing nations. For years, Congress has struggled to enact any meaningful reform to the nation’s immigration laws, while courts have consistently rejected some of his executive orders intended to limit immigration.
The post reported on an attack that occurred Wednesday, involving two National Guard members in the capital, perpetrated by an Afghan national. Earlier in the day, the president had announced the death of one of the guardsmen, US Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20. Trump has leveraged the assault to bolster his administration’s anti-immigration policies. The White House had already intensified its immigration enforcement following the shooting, which included suspending reviews of Afghan immigration cases and initiating a review of individuals already residing in the US. The administration had previously outlined intentions to assess the cases of all refugees resettled under Biden and halt their green card applications, as indicated in a memo from earlier this month that was examined. On Thursday, Joseph Edlow stated in a social media post that his agency — under Trump’s orders — is undertaking “a full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern.” In June, the White House announced a ban on immigration from 12 countries, which includes Afghanistan, Haiti, Somalia, and Sudan, along with restrictions on seven additional nations.
During his initial term, Trump implemented travel restrictions on individuals from Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. Trump has adopted a forceful stance on immigration enforcement, which includes sending teams of agents into cities frequently against the wishes of local authorities and amid allegations that officials are unlawfully deporting migrants in contravention of court orders and other legal safeguards. The administration has significantly reduced the cap on refugee admissions, terminated temporary protected status for migrants from numerous countries, instituted a $100,000 application fee for H-1B visas, utilized by tech companies and universities for high-skilled workers, and rescinded thousands of visas. It is also contesting the constitutional right to birthright citizenship as established by the 14th Amendment.
Upon re-entering office, Trump signed an executive order that halted all refugee admissions, a move that was quickly met with legal challenges. An appeals court has permitted a pause on new admissions while litigation is ongoing, but has mandated that the government continue providing services to refugees who have already arrived. The US has welcomed over 190,000 Afghans since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in 2021, primarily those who supported US forces along with their families throughout the conflict.
