 "The order made specific mention of chapters in Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan. (AP)")
US President Donald Trump on Sunday defended his call for a permanent pause on migration from all “third-world countries”, invoking Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to justify the move.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump quoted the provision directly, “Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate.”
Section 212(f), he emphasised, authorises the president to suspend the entry of “any aliens or of any class of aliens” if their admission is deemed harmful to US national interests. The White House also shared the same language on X.
UN urges continued access for asylum seekers
Trump has doubled down on his stance despite appeals from multiple United Nations agencies, including the UN human rights office, urging Washington to keep accepting asylum seekers.
He has also warned in earlier posts of further measures, including:
denaturalising migrants who “undermine domestic tranquillity”,
ending federal benefits for non-citizens, and
deporting foreign nationals viewed as a “public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilisation.”
New restrictions follow State Department visa halt for Afghan passport holders
The administration tightened immigration rules further on Friday after the State Department announced a temporary halt on visa issuance for all travellers holding Afghan passports.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the step was necessary to protect national security, writing on X: “President Trump’s State Department has paused visa issuance for ALL individuals travelling on Afghan passports.”
He added, “The United States has no higher priority than protecting our nation and our people.” Officials described the move as part of a broader response to Wednesday’s shooting near the White House, which left two National Guard soldiers critically injured.
USCIS pauses asylum decisions amid enhanced vetting
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow confirmed that asylum officers have been instructed to halt issuing decisions until additional vetting measures are completed.
“This pause will stay in place until we can ensure that every alien is properly vetted. The safety of the American people always comes first,” he said in a statement posted on X.
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View AllWhite House shooting leaves one National Guard soldier dead
The shooting near the White House on Wednesday has now claimed the life of one of the two injured National Guard members. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom has died, while the second soldier remains wounded.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the Afghan national accused of carrying out the attack, will face a charge of first-degree murder, the Washington Post reported. US Attorney for Washington, DC, Jeanine Pirro said additional charges are likely to follow.