Trump says US will ‘permanently pause’ migration from ‘all third world countries’
Pakistani immigration to US hits pause
WASHINGTON: Pakistanis in the middle of or hoping to immigrate to the United States will face a “permanent pause” in immigration as President Donald Trump pulled the plug after a man of Afghan origin shot and killed a member of the National Guard on Thursday.
The US will pause immigration from all “third world” countries, Trump stated in a social media post.
Donald Trump has unleashed a series of posts on Truth Social that could dramatically reshape US immigration policy, declaring that he will “permanently pause” migration from “all third world countries” and calling for “reverse migration” to remove certain immigrants.
“I will permanently pause migration from all third world countries to allow the US system to fully recover. This is necessary because unchecked migration has weakened American society and strained its resources. Until the system stabilises, no new immigrants from these countries will be allowed entry,” Trump wrote.
He did not identify any countries by name or give any specifics about what he meant by “permanently pause”. However, his posts signal a sweeping crackdown that could affect millions of residents from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and which could also alter refugee, Green Card, and other immigration programmes.
The development comes a day after the US government abruptly halted the processing of all immigration requests from Afghan nationals, following the shooting of two National Guard soldiers near the White House. Trump had earlier announced that Sarah Beckstrom, one of the two National Guard troops shot, had died, while the other soldier was “fighting for his life”.
In his posts, he also declared he would denaturalise migrants who “undermine domestic tranquillity, and deport any foreign national who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western civilisation.
Trump argued that US immigration policies had weakened the country despite technological progress and said the nation needed time “to fully recover” from what he called an immigration onslaught.
His posts outlined measures to terminate “millions” of admissions granted under his predecessor Joe Biden, including those signed by “sleepy Joe’s autopen”. He further said he would remove anyone he deemed “not a net asset” to the US or “incapable of loving our country”.
“Those who fail to contribute positively or respect American values will not be allowed to remain. The goal is to ensure that only individuals who strengthen the nation are permitted to live and work here,” he said.
Trump stressed that these reforms would not stop there.
“Only reverse migration can fully cure this situation. Individuals who have entered the US illegally or disrupted American society will be encouraged to return to their home countries. This step is presented as the only way to restore law, order, and stability in the US,” he said.
He also pledged to end all federal benefits for non-citizens, in an effort to ease the financial burden on American taxpayers.
“All federal benefits and subsidies for non-citizens of our country will be ended. This includes welfare, health care, and other support programmes that previously went to migrants. The policy is meant to stop the financial burden on American taxpayers and prioritise citizens first,” he said.
In one post, Trump attached a picture of Afghans being airlifted and wrote: “This is part of the horrendous airlift from Afghanistan. Hundreds of thousands of people poured into our country totally unvetted and unchecked. We will fix it, but will never forget what crooked Joe Biden and his thugs did to our country!”
The US president added that “these goals will be pursued with the aim of achieving a major reduction in illegal and disruptive populations”. Monitoring Desk
