US President Donald Trump has declared that the United States will “permanently pause” migration from what he described as “Third World Countries,” a sweeping shift in America’s immigration posture triggered by the fatal shooting of a National Guard member in Washington, DC, carried out by an Afghan national.
Trump announced the decision in a late-night post on his social media platform, framing the move as necessary to protect national security and reset the country’s immigration system. He said the pause would reverse “millions” of admissions approved under the previous administration and would include cutting federal benefits to non-citizens, as well as removing foreign nationals deemed security threats or “non-compatible with Western civilisation.”
US immigration officials say initial enforcement actions are already underway. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has suspended the processing of Afghan immigration requests indefinitely and will re-examine all green cards issued to immigrants from 19 unspecified “countries of concern.”
Trump did not define what he meant by “Third World Countries,” leaving significant uncertainty about which nations fall under the directive and whether the policy targets only new applicants or also affects current visa holders and permanent residents.
Human-rights groups and legal experts warn that the move, as stated, risks violating both US and international protections for asylum-seekers and refugees. Rights advocates argue that the lack of clarity could open the door to broad, discriminatory enforcement and prolonged legal battles over the limits of presidential authority on immigration.
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