Trump Announces Tough New Immigration Policy

US President Donald Trump has declared that immigration from all Third World countries will be permanently suspended. In addition, federal benefits and subsidies will be withdrawn for those who have not yet acquired US citizenship.

Trump made this announcement on Thursday, 28 November, via a post on the social media platform Truth Social. However, he did not specify how or when the suspension would be implemented. Previous immigration-related bans issued by his administration have faced challenges in both Congress and the courts, raising questions about their enforceability.

The announcement follows a shooting incident on Wednesday afternoon near the White House, where members of the National Guard were targeted. According to CNBC News, Trump did not specify which countries would be classified as Third World, but the term generally refers to nations with high poverty rates and unstable economies.

Data from the World Population Review and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) highlight countries with low human development indices, including South Sudan, Somalia, the Central African Republic, Chad, and Niger. Bangladesh is ranked 130th in the UNDP’s 2025 Human Development Index.

The recent White House shooting also led to the arrest of an Afghan national, intensifying political debate in the US. Afghan immigrants who arrived under special programmes in 2021 have already had their immigration applications suspended. Trump stated that those deemed “not beneficial to the country” will be removed.

Furthermore, the Trump administration will review green cards issued to citizens of 19 countries. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow confirmed that the president has instructed him to closely scrutinise green cards of individuals from “concerned countries,” which include Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, and Venezuela. This move is expected to significantly reshape US immigration policy and provoke domestic and international debate.