The Kabul Tribune (KT) — The State Department said it will pause immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries whose migrants it says rely on U.S. public assistance at “unacceptable rates,” a move the Trump administration described as part of a broader effort to limit what it calls abuse of American generosity.
In a statement, the department said the freeze will remain
in place until the U.S. government can ensure that new immigrants will not
become dependent on public benefits or otherwise place a financial burden on
taxpayers.
The pause affects dozens of countries, including Somalia,
Haiti, Iran and Eritrea, according to the administration. Officials said
migrants from those nations are more likely to become public charges upon arrival
in the United States.
The administration said the policy is intended to protect
U.S. taxpayers and reinforce its “America First” agenda, which emphasizes
stricter immigration controls and reduced government spending on noncitizens.
“The Trump Administration will always put America First,”
the statement said.
It was not immediately clear when the policy will take
effect, how long the pause could last, or whether exemptions will be granted
for certain visa categories, such as family reunification or humanitarian
cases. The State Department did not provide details on how it determined which
countries would be included.
