The United States has entered another tense moment as President Donald Trump announced a “permanent pause” on migration from what he called “all Third World Countries”. The statement came hours after an Afghan national was arrested in connection with a fatal shooting of two National Guard members in Washington. Trump used the incident to justify sweeping new immigration limits, promising to end federal benefits for non-citizens, denaturalise those he deems “non-compatible”, and review all green cards issued to citizens of countries already under his travel ban.
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The administration’s agencies moved quickly. USCIS suspended all Afghan immigration requests and announced a rigorous review of green cards for citizens from 19 countries already facing full or partial travel bans. Legal experts say the term “permanent pause” has no formal meaning under US immigration law, leaving wide room for political interpretation and legal challenges. Advocacy groups warn the ambiguity is deliberate, creating fear among migrant communities and signalling a tougher stance in global diplomacy.
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Analysts also caution that families could face prolonged separation, visa delays, and deeper scrutiny, even though existing legal protections prevent arbitrary removal of residents already inside the US. With previous cuts to refugee admissions and rising restrictions on workers, Trump’s new pause reinforces a broader agenda of shrinking migration channels. Human-rights organisations emphasise that these steps risk further dehumanising migrants at a time when global displacement is at record highs.
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