Trump Announces Plan to Block Immigration from Third-World Nations
United States President Donald Trump has announced plans for a broad halt on immigration from countries he classifies as “third-world.”
Speaking on Friday, 28 November, Mr Trump linked the proposal to social and economic pressures he said were affecting Americans. He argued that limiting arrivals from poorer nations was necessary to protect national interests and stabilise the immigration system.
“I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the US system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden admissions,” he said, indicating a clear shift from prior policies.
Joined previously by Vice President JD Vance, Mr Trump also pledged to remove individuals he considers “not a net asset” to the country and to withdraw federal benefits from non-citizens.
African countries could face significant consequences if the freeze proceeds, as many fall under the “third-world” designation. In East Africa, this includes Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Somalia.
Kenya is typically viewed as a developing economy with strong growth prospects, making its potential inclusion less certain. Analysts note that such classifications can be difficult to apply uniformly across diverse economies.Mr Trump also referenced Somali communities in the United States, particularly in Minnesota, where he alleged that refugee populations had contributed to disorder. He criticised Governor Tim Walz and Representative Ilhan Omar, claiming they had enabled what he described as “Somalia gangs.”
He said Somali refugee groups were contributing to insecurity, comments likely to intensify the political debate around immigration.
