The Trump Administration’s crackdown on visa applicants from immigrants has hit a new level.
On Wednesday (Jan. 14), the State Department announced it was pausing visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, including those with majority Black populations like Nigeria, Belize, the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Haiti. The memo, first seen by Fox News, is viewed as the administration’s effort to halt the entrance of applicants it believes could be a public charge.
“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,” Tommy Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson at the State Department, said.
He added, “Immigrant visa processing from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassesses immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.”
The pause is set to take effect on Jan. 21, and includes counties such as Somalia, which have come under scrutiny by Republicans and Trump Administration officials due to an alleged fraud scandal in the state.
While President Trump campaigned on mass deportations and stopping illegal immigration into the United States, his policies have also made it harder to achieve legal immigration. Newer, more expensive fees have been placed on H-1B visa applicants, and the State Department has touted that more than 100,000 people have had their visas revoked since Trump retook office.
“This administration has proven itself to have the most anti-legal immigration agenda in American history,” David Bier, Cato’s Director of Immigration Studies and The Selz Foundation Chair in Immigration Policy, said in a statement.
“This action will ban nearly half of all legal immigrants to the United States, turning away about 315,000 legal immigrants over the next year alone,” Bier said.
The full list of 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, Cuba, 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, 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.Â
