The Trump administration is suspending immigrant visa processing from 75 countries, the State Department confirmed on Wednesday.
“The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates,” the department said in a post on X.
It added that the freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.
According to the department, the pause impacts dozens of countries — including Somalia, Haiti, Iran, and Eritrea — whose “immigrants often become public charges on the United States upon arrival.”
“We are working to ensure the generosity of the American people will no longer be abused,” it added.
The spokesperson did not elaborate on the plan, first reported by Fox News, which cited a State Department memo. The pause will begin on January 21, Fox News said.
Pakistan, Somalia, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Brazil, Nigeria, and Thailand are among the affected countries, according to the report.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X that the countries affected would include Somalia — whose people Trump has attacked in heated terms after immigrants were involved in a funding scandal in Minnesota — as well as Russia and Iran.
Leavitt posted to a Fox News article that said other countries affected would include a number of countries with friendly relations with the United States, including Brazil, Egypt and Thailand.
The memo directs US embassies to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses its procedures. No time frame was provided.
The reported pause comes amid the sweeping immigration crackdown pursued by Republican US President Donald Trump since taking office last January.
In November, Trump had vowed to “permanently pause” migration from all “Third World Countries” following a shooting near the White House by an Afghan national that killed a National Guard member.
