Trump Vows To ‘Permanently Pause Migration’ From Poorer Nations

United States President Donald Trump has vowed to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations in a late-night, anti-immigrant post on social media, describing the measure as a national security necessity.

The post on the US Thanksgiving followed the Wednesday shooting of two National Guard members deployed to patrol Washington, D.C., where one of them died shortly before Trump addressed US troops via video on Thursday evening.

A 29-year-old Afghan national who previously worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan War has been charged in connection with the shooting.

The suspect came to the US under a programme designed to resettle Afghans who assisted American troops following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“Other than that, Happy Thanksgiving To All, except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for — You won’t be here for long!,” Trump wrote.

Since taking office, Trump has prioritised cracking down on illegal migration, with raids and deportations that have disrupted communities nationwide.

Trump claimed that “most” foreign-born US residents are on welfare, from failed nations, or from prisons, mental institutions, gangs, or drug cartels, blaming them for crime across the country.

However, a 2024 review in the Annual Review of Criminology found that high concentrations of immigrants are not associated with increased crime rates in the US.

Similarly, a 2023 study by economists reported that immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than US-born citizens, a trend that has held for 150 years.

In the post, Trump pledged to “terminate” millions of admissions made under former President Joe Biden, cut federal benefits for noncitizens, denaturalise individuals “who undermine domestic tranquillity,” and deport foreign nationals deemed “non-compatible with Western Civilisation.”

He also singled out Somali immigrants in Minnesota, claiming they were “completely taking over the once-great State of Minnesota,” and used a dated slur against Governor Tim Walz.

LEADERSHIP reports that the Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Joseph Edlow, announced additional screening measures for people from 19 “high-risk” countries.

Previously, the administration had banned travel from 12 countries and restricted access from seven others, citing national security concerns.