United States President Donald Trump has declared that he will “permanently pause” immigration from all so-called Third World countries, including Nigeria.
He made the announcement in a statement posted on his Truth Social account late on Thanksgiving Day.
Trump said the move is intended to allow the U.S. immigration system to “recover” while reversing what he described as “millions of Joe Biden illegal admissions.”
He also vowed to remove anyone living in the U.S. who is not a “net asset” or is “incapable of loving” the country.
According to data cited from the World Population Review, more than 60 nations across Africa, Asia and the Pacific—including Nigeria—fall under the category of Third World countries based on human capital rankings.
The announcement followed Trump’s confirmation that West Virginia National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom had died after being shot near the White House. The attacker was identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal from Afghanistan.
In a related development, the Director of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said on Thursday that he has ordered a review of all green cards previously issued to individuals from countries considered “of concern,” in line with Trump’s directive.
When asked by CNN to clarify the list of affected nations, the USCIS official pointed to 19 countries highlighted in a June presidential proclamation. The nations include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
