WASHINGTON, USA — In a controversial move, President Donald Trump has announced that his administration will permanently pause migration from all “Third World countries” in an effort to overhaul the United States immigration system.
The statement, made during a Thanksgiving address on Thursday, November 27, 2025, sparked immediate criticism from advocates for immigrant rights and global human rights organizations.
The term “Third World countries” refers to least developed or developing nations grappling with a range of economic, social, political, and environmental challenges.
Countries such as Sudan, Chad, Niger, Benin, Pakistan, and Nigeria were specifically mentioned by Trump as examples of nations affected by issues like poverty, instability, and lack of essential resources.
Trump framed his decision as a response to decades of what he called “failed immigration policies” that, according to him, have led to a divided and disrupted America.
He pointed to the increasing foreign-born population, which has reached 53 million people, and criticized the influx of migrants from what he described as “failed nations, prisons, mental institutions, gangs, or drug cartels.”
“A migrant earning $30,000 with a green card will get roughly $50,000 in yearly benefits for their family,” Trump claimed, asserting that such migration has contributed to social dysfunction in the United States, including high crime rates, urban decay, and overcrowded public services.
He pointed to Minnesota, where he said “hundreds of thousands of refugees from Somalia” have “completely taken over,” with what he described as “Somalian gangs” causing insecurity in the state.
Trump’s proposed pause on migration aims to allow the US immigration system to “fully recover” and to terminate what he called “illegal admissions” made under the Biden administration.
His plan also includes removing migrants who are not deemed “net assets” to the country and eliminating federal benefits and subsidies for non-citizens.
“I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden’s Autopen, and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country,” Trump stated.
The president also vowed to “deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization” and set out his goal of achieving a major reduction in “illegal and disruptive populations.”
Trump concluded his remarks by calling for “reverse migration,” implying that those who he views as incompatible with the US should leave the country.
“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!” he said.
The announcement comes just days after the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC.
The suspect, who allegedly arrived in the US in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome after assisting the US in Afghanistan, had been granted asylum in April 2025.
Trump linked the shooting to his broader concerns over immigration and national security.
Critics of Trump’s announcement have condemned the sweeping nature of the policy, arguing that it unfairly targets entire nations based on socio-economic factors and could further fuel racial and ethnic tensions.
Human rights organizations have raised alarms about the humanitarian impact of halting migration from countries already facing significant challenges.
