In a sweeping announcement late on Thanksgiving, U.S. President Donald Trump declared his administration would “permanently pause migration from all Third-World countries.” He said the measure is intended to allow the U.S. immigration system to “fully recover,” and pledged to terminate what he described as “millions of Biden illegal admissions.”
Under the proposed policy, all federal benefits and subsidies for non-citizens would end. Trump also promised to “denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility,” and deport foreign nationals deemed public-charges, security risks, or “not compatible with Western civilization.”
He blamed lax immigration and refugee-resettlement policies for a recent fatal shooting near the White House, carried out by an Afghan national, calling it a wake-up call on national security. The announcement follows earlier 2025 restrictions: a presidential proclamation signed in June had already barred entry for nationals of 19 “countries of concern,” including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Somalia, Venezuela and others.
The abrupt announcement has provoked widespread international reaction and unease. Human-rights groups and global refugee advocates warn it could amount to collective punishment of entire nations — many fleeing war, persecution or economic hardship. Some legal scholars note that the broad and undefined use of “Third-World countries” could trigger major lawsuits, given U.S. obligations under international refugee and asylum conventions.
As world leaders react and affected communities brace for impact, all eyes are now on whether the U.S. government will translate talk into enforceable law — and how global mobility and asylum-seeking may be reshaped in the coming months.
