US President Donald Trump has said he will “permanently pause migration” to the United States from all “third world countries.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed the move would “allow the US system to fully recover” from what he described as immigration policies that had undermined the “gains and living conditions” of many Americans. He did not provide further details of the plan or specify which countries would be affected.
The president also blamed refugees for contributing to “social dysfunction in America” and vowed to remove “anyone who is not a net asset” to the country, reports BBC.
His comments follow the arrest of an Afghan national accused of shooting two members of the National Guard in Washington, DC, one of whom later died. Trump has said the incident highlights a major national security threat and pledged to expel “any foreigner from any country who does not belong here.”
On Wednesday, the US suspended processing all immigration requests from Afghans, citing a review of “security and vetting protocols.”
A day later, US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it would re-examine green cards issued to individuals who immigrated from 19 countries.