Trump Announces Halt On Migration From 'All Third Wo...

By Robert Birsel

Reporter

ShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

President Donald Trump announced that he will "permanently pause” immigration from all Third World countries and “remove” anyone who is not a “net asset” to the United States.

Why It Matters

The shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members in Washington, D.C., by a suspected gunman from Afghanistan on Wednesday has reignited concerns about security and the vetting of immigrants.

Trump has linked the incident to his wider immigration policy, which is at the core of his second term in the White House.

His announcement will throw into disarray the lives of innumerable hopeful migrants and their families, and is likely to embolden and encourage Trump’s admirers, both at home and those in other Western countries pushing for similar policies.

What To Know

Trump, in his post on Truth Social, said immigration had eroded technological progress and living conditions for many.

“I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden’s Autopen, and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country,” he said.

He said he would end all federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens, and he would also “denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization.”

The Trump administration says that former President Joe Biden and his administration abused legal immigration routes, including the asylum and refugee programs, as thousands of immigrants arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border or sought other ways into the country between 2021 and 2025.

Trump’s White House has severely restricted refugee entries, limiting applications to about 7,500 for the next year.

Trump has issued similar bans before.

In 2017, he prohibited immigration and travel to the United States from seven majority Muslim countries.

Following legal challenges, the order was amended before being upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018, although it was repealed by Trump's successor, Biden, in 2021.

In June this year, Trump reinstated and expanded the ban, targeting citizens from 12 countries, citing national security concerns following an attack on a pro-Israel rally by an Egyptian national in Colorado.

Human rights groups have criticized the order, with Amnesty International USA saying it would spread "disinformation and hate." The group Human Rights First said the ban would harm refugees, asylum-seekers, and other vulnerable populations.

Trump’s supporters argue that he has a mandate from the American people to address illegal and dangerous immigration and that the U.S. has the right to control its borders.

What People Are Saying

Trump said in his post: "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. Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation. Other than that, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for — You won’t be here for long!"