The Trump administration have announced that it will freeze visa processing for individuals from 75 different countries. The indefinite pause will begin on January 21 of this year.
On 14 January, the US Department of State announced on social media:
The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.
The pause impacts dozens of countries – including Somalia, Haiti, Iran, and Eritrea – whose immigrants often become public charges on the United States upon arrival. We are working to ensure the generosity of the American people will no longer be abused.
The Trump Administration will always put America First.
For context, there are 195 countries in the world. As such, Trump’s ban on visa processing for 75 nations affects almost 40% of them.
75 countries affected by the Trump ban
The full list of countries affected runs:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.
The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Brazil.
Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, and Cuba.
Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Dominica.
Egypt, Eritrea, and Ethiopia.
Fiji.
Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, and Guinea.
Haiti.
Iran, Iraq, and Ivory Coast.
Jamaica and Jordan
Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, and Kyrgyzstan.
Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, and Libya.
North Macedonia; Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, and Myanmar.
Nepal, Nicaragua, and Nigeria.
Pakistan.
Republic of Congo, Russia, and Rwanda.
St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Syria.
Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, and Tunisia.
Uganda, Uruguay, and Uzbekistan.
Yemen.
The list includes a high proportion of majority-Muslim nations, echoing the ‘Muslim ban’ of Trump’s first term in office. Likewise, the overwhelming bulk of the list is made up of nations with mostly Black or brown populations.
‘The generosity of the American people’
The suspension is currently limited to immigrant visas, rather than short-term visas (e.g. tourists or temporary workers). An immigrant visa would allow an applicant the chance to eventually become a US citizen.
The Trump administration alleges that people from the 75 countries targeted by the freeze are likely to become ‘charges’ of the state, i.e., they would draw on benefits or welfare payments.
In spite of clear evidence to the contrary, Trump’s administration has repeatedly defamed immigrants as a drain on the US economy. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott echoed this sentiment regarding the visa freeze on social media:
Under President Trump, we will not allow foreign nationals to abuse America’s immigration system and exploit the generosity of the American people.
‘They just did it’
The latest visa freeze marks yet another escalation of Trump’s racist travel bans, building on December’s full or partial travel bans on individuals from dozens of countries.
American Immigration Council senior fellow Aaron Reichlin-Melnick explained what the newest freeze meant on top of existing bans:
90 countries are now subject to complete bans on immigrant visas or an indefinite suspension of immigrant visas. This has a direct impact on American citizens’ freedoms, as Americans who marry people from those countries are now entirely unable to bring their spouses here.
90 of the world’s 195 countries, over 46%. Or, to put it another way, individuals from almost half of the world’s nations are now banned from immigrating to the US. As David Bier, director of immigration studies for the Cato Institute, put it:
No law was passed. Not even an executive order was signed. They just did it. Tweeted it.
Featured image via the Canary
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