Washington: In a sweeping escalation of America’s immigration policy, President Donald J. Trump announced that the United States will enforce a “permanent pause” on migration from all Third World countries, signaling a historic shift in how the nation admits foreigners. Speaking hours after a deadly shooting involving an Afghan immigrant near the White House, the President said that America’s immigration system must be “allowed to fully recover,” arguing that the previous administration’s vetting mechanisms failed to prevent violent individuals from entering the country. His remarks triggered immediate global attention, with allies, critics, and immigration advocates framing the announcement as the most far-reaching immigration suspension proposed in modern U.S. history.
President Trump made the declaration through an official statement on his social media platform, outlining a broad plan to revoke immigration benefits granted under the former administration. He vowed to end all federal benefits for non-citizens, pursue the deportation of foreign nationals deemed security threats, and even denaturalize migrants whose values or conduct are judged incompatible with what he described as Western norms and national tranquillity. While the President did not clarify which countries would be formally categorized as “Third World,” he asserted that the pause applies broadly to developing nations, leaving millions of potential migrants in uncertainty.
The announcement comes as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services initiate an extensive review of asylum approvals and green cards previously issued to individuals from 19 designated high-risk countries. Officials confirmed that the processing of new Afghan immigration requests has already been halted indefinitely. The policy review was accelerated after the Afghan suspect in Thursday’s attack who entered the U.S. under the 2021 resettlement programme was accused of fatally shooting a National Guard member and leaving another critically injured near the White House. The incident revived fierce political debate over the Afghan evacuation policy and perceived gaps in security screening.
Across Washington, legal experts and lawmakers warned that the proposal could spark serious constitutional and diplomatic challenges. Immigration rights groups argued that an indefinite, broad-based ban may clash with U.S. humanitarian obligations and existing legal standards. Meanwhile, supporters of the administration praised the move as long overdue, claiming that unrestricted migration from unstable regions poses risks to national security and economic stability. Foreign governments, particularly in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, are now awaiting detailed guidelines to determine how the sweeping pause will affect travel, student visas, family reunification, and skilled-worker programmes.
The President’s announcement immediately reshaped the political narrative ahead of forthcoming legislative battles, with both domestic and international observers questioning how the “permanent pause” will be implemented and whether exceptions such as medical, humanitarian, or diplomatic cases will be permitted. As uncertainty deepens among immigrant communities within the U.S., the global reaction continues to mount. With millions watching closely, the new policy stands poised to redefine the country’s immigration identity and reshape America’s engagement with the developing world.