(Washington) The United States announced on Wednesday the freezing for 75 countries of all immigrant visa procedures, intended for people who plan to reside there permanently, as part of the fight against immigration launched by Donald Trump since his return to power.
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“The Trump Administration is ending abuses of the U.S. immigration system by those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of the American people,” said State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
“Visa processing for immigrants from these 75 countries will be suspended while the State Department reevaluates immigration procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who may qualify for public assistance and benefits,” he added in an email.
Previously, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt re-shared on X an article published on the Fox News channel website.
The measure applies to immigrant visas, as opposed to non-immigrant visas that allow temporary entry into the United States, and concerns applications from nationals of Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand and Yemen, among others.
The State Department did not immediately release the full list of affected countries.
The freeze will begin on January 21 without a specific end date, said a US official on condition of anonymity.
The American president makes no secret of his desire to reduce immigration of people who are not of European origin.
He called Somalis “trash” who should “go back to where they came from” and said he was open to the idea of Scandinavians settling in the United States.
The State Department announced Monday that it has revoked more than 100,000 visas since Trump’s return, a record in one year.
Last month, the Department of Homeland Security said the Trump administration had expelled more than 605,000 people and that 2.5 million more had left on their own.
This latest measure does not affect tourist or business visas, nor therefore fans wishing to travel to next summer’s Soccer World Cup in the United States, although the Trump administration has pledged to check the social media history of all applicants.
