The US Department of State has announced it will halt immigrant visa processing for 75 countries, citing high rates of welfare use among migrants from these nations.
In a statement on Wednesday, January 14, the department said the move is intended to safeguard American taxpayers from financial strain.
"The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people," the statement read.
According to the department, the pause affects nations where immigrants have reportedly relied heavily on public support
"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," the statement added.
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The full list of affected countries includes Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire and Cuba.
Others are Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco and Nepal.
Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen will also be affected.
This comes weeks after President Donald Trump ordered the immediate suspension of the Diversity Visa Lottery Program, commonly known as the green card lottery.
In a statement on Friday, December 19, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the decision follows renewed scrutiny of the program after a deadly shooting involving a former diversity visa recipient and earlier terrorist attacks connected to the same immigration pathway.
She said the individual responsible for the Brown University shooting entered the United States through the diversity visa program and later obtained permanent residency.
"The Brown University shooter, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente entered the United States through the diversity lottery immigrant visa program (DV1) in 2017 and was granted a green card. This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country," she said.
Noem also pointed to a previous attack during Trump’s earlier presidency, saying concerns over the program were raised after a deadly terrorist incident in New York City involving a diversity visa recipient.
"In 2017, President Trump fought to end this program, following the devastating NYC truck ramming by an ISIS terrorist, who entered under the DV1 program, and murdered eight people," she added.
Noem said the order from Trump takes effect immediately, with immigration authorities instructed to halt the program while further action is considered.
"At President Trump’s direction, I am immediately directing USCIS to pause the DV1 program to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program," she concluded.
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