• Vows to deport those not contributing to US economy
• Says reverse immigration is the only step to restore law and order in US
WASHINGTON: Ahead of the Thanksgiving weekend, President Donald Trump unleashed a series of posts on his Truth Social platform that could dramatically reshape US immigration policy, declaring a permanent halt to migration from all ‘third world countries’ and calling for ‘reverse migration’ to remove certain immigrants from the US.
The posts signal a sweeping crackdown that could affect millions of residents from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and could alter refugee, Green Card, and other immigration programmes.
The announcement followed a Wednesday shooting in Washington in which an Afghan national allegedly shot and critically wounded two members of the National Guard.
Trump immediately linked the incident to immigration, asserting that the shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, had been flown into the US in September 2021 and later had his status extended under Biden-era policies.
“Migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any foreign national who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilisation,” he declared.
Trump argued that US immigration policies had weakened the country despite technological progress and said the nation needed time “to fully recover” from what he called an immigration onslaught.
His posts outlined measures to terminate what he described as “millions of Biden illegal admissions,” including those allegedly approved under President Biden’s ‘Autopen’, and to remove anyone he deemed “not a net asset to the United States” or “incapable of loving our country”.
“I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the US system to fully recover. This is necessary because unchecked migration has weakened American society and strained its resources. Until the system stabilizes, no new immigrants from these countries will be allowed entry,” he wrote.
Reverse migration
Vowing to deport all non-contributing migrants, he added: “We will remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country. Those who fail to contribute positively or respect American values will not be allowed to remain. The goal is to ensure that only individuals who strengthen the nation are permitted to live and work here.”
Trump stressed that these reforms would not stop there: “Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation. Individuals who have entered the US illegally or disrupted American society will be encouraged to return to their home countries. This step is presented as the only way to restore law, order, and stability in the United States.”
He also pledged to end all federal benefits for non-citizens: “All federal benefits and subsidies for non-citizens of our country will be ended. This includes welfare, healthcare, and other support programmes that previously went to migrants. The policy is meant to stop the financial burden on American taxpayers and prioritise citizens first.”
In one post, Trump attached a picture of Afghans being airlifted and wrote: “This is part of the horrendous airlift from Afghanistan. Hundreds of thousands of people poured into our country totally unvetted and unchecked. We will fix it, but will never forget what Crooked Joe Biden and his Thugs did to our Country!
“These goals will be pursued with the aim of achieving a major reduction in illegal and disruptive populations.”
Earlier, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow announced that the president had ordered a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination” of every green card issued to immigrants from 19 countries listed in a June presidential proclamation. These include Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, and Venezuela — but not Pakistan.
“The protection of this country and of the American people remains paramount, and the American people will not bear the cost of the prior administration’s reckless resettlement policies,” Edlow wrote on Truth Social. Millions of green card holders and permanent residents from these countries could face scrutiny, even if they have lived in the US for years.
Immigration ‘a national security threat’
Trump framed immigration as “the single greatest national security threat”, asserting that the previous administration had admitted “20 million unknown and unvetted foreigners from all over the world”.
“Any alien from any country who does not belong here, or add benefit to our country… If they can’t love our country, we don’t want ’em,” he said, signalling that his administration intends to pursue aggressive enforcement measures.
The combined directives point to an unprecedented federal review of immigrants, refugees, and green card holders from third world countries, potentially affecting millions of families abroad who seek to migrate or are already in the United States.
Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2025
