Trump’s big crackdown on ‘third-world countries', to permanently pause all migration
Following a shooting incident near White House on Wednesday, US President Trump emphasised his administration's intent to pause migration from Third World countries. He also warned that he would overturn the 'millions' of admissions approved under Joe Biden's administration
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said his administration will work to permanently pause migration from all "Third World countries" to give the US system time to fully recover, according to Reuters. Donald Trump also said that the US will end all federal benefits and subsidies to non-citizens in the country.
The crackdown on the Third World countries comes a day after an Afghan national close to the White House shot two National Guard members.
In June 2025, the Trump administration released guidance limiting entry to the United States for citizens of 19 nations, citing national security concerns. These include:
(a) Afghanistan
(b) Burma
(c) Chad
(d) Republic of the Congo
(e) Equatorial Guinea
(f) Eritrea
(g) Haiti
(h) Iran
(i) Libya
(j) Somalia
(k) Sudan
(l) Yemen
(m) Burundi
(n) Cuba
(o) Laos
(p) Sierra Leone
(q) Togo
(r) Turkmenistan
(s) Venezuela
What did Donald Trump say?
Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: “I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover.”
He warned that he would overturn the "millions" of admissions approved under Joe Biden's administration, and would “remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States.”
Also Read | Sarah Beckstrom, National Guard member shot near White House, dies
Trump also said he planned to expel any foreign national considered a security threat or “non-compatible with Western Civilization.”
His furious message, which ended with wishing Americans a happy Thanksgiving, signalled a further intensification of the anti-migrant agenda in his second term, defined by a large-scale deportation drive.
“These goals will be pursued to achieve a major reduction in illegal and disruptive populations. Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation,” he said.
Moreover, Afghanistan is classified by the United Nations as one of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
UN LDCs by region:
Africa (32): Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia
Asia (8): Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Nepal, Timor-Leste and Yemen
Caribbean (1): Haiti
Pacific (3): Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu
Operation Allies Welcome
Authorities said the man accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington is among roughly 76,000 Afghans brought to the United States after the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan as the Taliban took control, according to AP.
Operation Allies Welcome, the programme responsible for their arrival, was launched following the 2021 decision to exit Afghanistan after two decades of American involvement and billions of dollars in assistance.
Biden, who carried out the withdrawal initiated by his predecessor Trump, said that the US had an obligation to offer safety to interpreters, translators, fighters, drivers, and others who stood against the Taliban. However, Trump and Republicans argued that the refugees did not undergo adequate screening, describing the resettlement as just as disorderly and poorly executed as the withdrawal itself.
Trump’s executive order, issued shortly after he took office in January, suspended federal funding for resettlement agencies, making it more difficult for refugees to access essentials such as food and rent, and restricting the mostly faith-based organisations that assist them.
The president, who has referred to Afghanistan as "a hellhole on earth", had already intended to re-examine every Afghan who entered the US through Operation Allies Welcome, and reaffirmed that intention following Wednesday’s shooting.
In a statement shared on social media, Trump said, “If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them.” He called the shooting “a crime against our entire nation".
