Donald Trump announcing new plans to pause migration.
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US President Donald Trump has ignited a fresh political firestorm after vowing to “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries”, a phrase that immediately drew criticism for being both outdated and offensive. The announcement came late on Thanksgiving evening, in the tense aftermath of the shooting of two National Guard soldiers near the White House by an Afghan national.
It marks one of Trump’s most sweeping immigration statements to date – and one that lands at a fragile moment for the US, where security concerns and political messaging are colliding once again.
A Hardline promise after the White House shooting
Trump’s post on his Truth Social platform was blunt and unapologetic. He promised to shut the door temporarily on migration from “third world countries” and pledged to remove anyone he says is “not a net asset” to the nation.
The timing raised eyebrows. Only a day earlier, a 29-year-old Afghan man – who entered the US in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, the programme created to resettle Afghans who supported American forces – was arrested in connection with Wednesday’s targeted shooting of two West Virginia National Guard soldiers on patrol in downtown Washington.
Trump immediately linked the attack to what he calls a “broken” immigration system, promising a drastic rethink of who gets to stay in the country.
He went even further, saying he would:
- end federal benefits for all non-citizens,
- denaturalise migrants deemed to undermine “domestic tranquillity”,
- deport anyone labelled a “public charge” or “security risk”,
- and end the special visa route for Afghans who worked with US forces before the Taliban takeover.
His message was clear: the rules are about to change – fast.
Green cards under scrutiny: 19 countries flagged
Even before Trump’s late-night declaration, the administration had already taken action.
On Wednesday, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) froze all immigration applications from Afghan nationals, pending a security review.
Hours later, USCIS director Joseph Edlow confirmed on X that he had ordered a full re-examination of every Green Card issued to migrants from 19 “countries of concern.”
These countries – flagged in a June presidential proclamation – include:
Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Libya, Yemen, Cuba, Venezuela, Chad, Eritrea, and others identified as having weak security or vetting systems.
Critics say the move risks punishing lawful residents solely due to their nationality, potentially affecting tens of thousands of Green Card holders who have committed no crime.
For now, USCIS has not said whether the review could lead to mass deportations or revocations. Nor is it clear how Trump’s new promise to shut down migration entirely from developing nations will interact with the existing review.
A policy landscape filled with uncertainty
The White House insists the measures are about national security, especially after the Washington attack left two soldiers critically injured. Officials say the Afghan suspect acted alone.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has already authorised 500 additional National Guard troops to be deployed in the capital, joining more than 2,200 already patrolling as part of Trump’s controversial anti-crime and anti-immigration crackdown.
But while the political messages grow sharper, the consequences of these new immigration moves remain deeply unclear.
Will lawful residents be targeted?
Will long-standing visa programmes be dismantled?
And how far will the administration go in the name of security?
For now, the only certainty is that the debate has entered yet another explosive phase – one likely to dominate headlines well beyond Thanksgiving.
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