Trump Announces “Permanent Pause” on Migration from Third World Countries
US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that his administration would «permanently pause» migration from all so-called Third World countries, Reuters reports. He cited the attack near the White House that he said resulted from failures in immigration vetting under President Joe Biden.
Trump did not specify which countries he considered third-world or clarify what «permanently pause» entails. He said the policy would affect cases approved under Biden, adding that it would terminate what he described as millions of illegal admissions and remove anyone deemed not a net benefit to the United States. He also pledged to end federal benefits and subsidies for non-citizens, denaturalise migrants he said undermined domestic stability, and deport those viewed as public charges, security risks or incompatible with Western civilisation.
The comments followed the death of a National Guard member in an ambush near the White House, allegedly carried out by 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal. Lakanwal had entered the US legally in 2021 under a Biden-era resettlement programme created after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Government records indicate he was granted asylum this year under Trump.
Earlier, the Department of Homeland Security said Trump had ordered a review of asylum cases approved under Biden and Green Cards issued to citizens of 19 countries. US Citizenship and Immigration Services has also suspended all immigration requests involving Afghan nationals indefinitely.
Trump framed his proposals as a measure to achieve a «major reduction in illegal and disruptive populations,» claiming that «reverse migration» is the only solution. The shooting has intensified debate over immigration policy and is likely to influence broader discussions on legal and illegal migration and stricter vetting procedures.
