Key Highlights
- US President Donald Trump announced a permanent pause on migration from all third world countries via Truth Social on November 27, 2025, following a deadly shooting by an Afghan national that killed National Guard soldier Sarah Beckstrom.
- USCIS will reexamine every green card held by nationals from 19 countries of identified concern, as listed in the June 2025 White House proclamation, including full bans on 12 nations like Afghanistan and partial restrictions on seven others.
- The term third world countries originates from Cold War alignments but now signals underdeveloped nations; official lists from UN and World Bank classify dozens, overlapping with Trump’s targeted countries.
Opening Overview
President Donald Trump ignited global debate by vowing to permanently pause migration from third world countries, a stark policy shift announced on Truth Social amid heightened security concerns. This migration declaration came hours after an Afghan national allegedly ambushed and killed 20-year-old National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom near the White House, leaving another soldier critically injured. Trump argued that unchecked inflows from third world countries have eroded US technological progress and national strength, demanding a full system recovery before resuming any entries.
The rhetoric targets third world countries broadly, yet ties directly to a June 2025 executive action flagging 19 specific nations for deficient vetting, high overstay rates, and terrorism risks. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow confirmed a rigorous reexamination of all green cards from these third world countries equivalents, prioritizing national security. This builds on prior crackdowns, aiming to deport public charges, security risks, or those deemed incompatible with Western values. As borders tighten, these face immediate travel bans, reshaping global mobility patterns. The move underscores Trump’s commitment to reverse Biden-era admissions, with over 858,000 suspected overstays reported in FY2023 per DHS data, many from vulnerable regions.
Historical Roots of Third World Countries Classification
- Cold War origins grouped nations into First World (US allies), Second World (Soviet bloc), and third world countries as non-aligned, often underdeveloped states.
- Today, third world countries align with UN Least Developed Countries (LDCs) list of 44 economies and World Bank low-income economies, facing aid eligibility and vulnerability thresholds.
The label third world countries emerged during the Cold War, categorizing nations outside the US-led capitalist bloc or Soviet communist sphere. Neutral and poorer states in Africa, Asia, and Latin America fell into this bracket, marked by agricultural economies and limited industrialization. Post-Cold War, the term evolved to denote economic underdevelopment, supplanted by precise metrics from global bodies.
UNCTAD maintains a list of 44 third world countries as LDCs, entitling them to trade preferences; Africa dominates with 32, including Chad, Sudan, and Somalia. Criteria include GNI per capita below $1,088, low human assets index under 60, and high economic vulnerability above 36. World Bank classifies low-income economies similarly, with 26 nations like Afghanistan (GNI $359), Yemen ($645), and Eritrea ($576) in 2025. These third world countries show overlap with Trump’s concerns: high visa overstays and weak identity systems. For instance, DHS FY2023 Overstay Report cites Eritrea at 20.09% B-1/B-2 rate and Somalia’s governance voids as terrorist safe havens. Such data justifies restrictions, as third world countries struggle with passport reliability and repatriation cooperation.
Trump’s June 2025 Executive Order on Countries of Concern
- Proclamation suspends entry from 12 third world countries fully (e.g., Afghanistan, Haiti) and partially from 7 others (e.g., Venezuela, Cuba) due to vetting gaps.
- High overstay rates from DHS reports drove listings: Chad at 49.54% B-1/B-2, Laos 34.77%.
- Exceptions cover US permanent residents, diplomats, and select visas like Afghan SIVs.
In June 2025, President Trump issued a proclamation restricting entry from 19 countries flagged for national security risks, directly informing recent migration pauses. Full bans hit 12 nations: Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen. Partial limits apply to Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, barring immigrant visas and key nonimmigrant categories like B-1/B-2.
White House cited DHS FY2023 data: Afghanistan’s 9.70% B-1/B-2 overstay and 29.30% student visa rate, Haiti’s 31.38% B-1/B-2 amid mass inflows. These lack cooperative central authorities for civil documents, enabling terrorism threats; Somalia hosts safe havens, Iran sponsors terror. Over 858,000 suspected overstays burdened US resources in FY2023, per DHS. The order mandates 90-day reviews, pushing reforms in information-sharing. Trump’s latest pledge expands this framework, halting all third world countries migration until compliance, signaling zero tolerance for vetting deficiencies.
BREAKING
— 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗹 🟥🟩⬛ (@DukeOfSavannah) November 28, 2025
Donald Trump says he will “permanently pause migration from all ‘Third World Countries’” — halting immigration from much of Africa, Asia, Latin America and beyond, ending federal benefits for non-citizens, and launching “reverse migration.” pic.twitter.com/t9zV6fi7Pl
USCIS Green Card Reexamination and Recent Triggers
- Post-shooting directive reviews all green cards from 19 countries, halting Afghan processing indefinitely per DHS.
- Ties to November 27 Truth Social post vowing deportation of non-assets from third world countries.
- IMF notes low-income third world countries contributed 15% of US remittances in 2024, now at risk.
USCIS launched a full-scale green card audit for nationals of the 19 third world countries on November 27, 2025, directed by Trump after the DC ambush. Director Edlow’s X post emphasized protecting Americans from prior resettlement flaws, targeting Afghanistan first with indefinite halts on all immigration requests. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin confirmed reevaluation of Biden-approved asylums, amplifying scrutiny.
This third world countries focus stems from executive order nations, where overstay and terrorism data converge. Eritrea’s criminal record inaccessibility and Yemen’s territorial chaos exemplify risks. World Bank reports these third world countries average GNI under $700, with IMF 2024 data showing $140 billion in US remittances from low-income migrants, straining welfare. The policy deems entrants public charges if reliant on aid, prioritizing net contributors. As implementation ramps, these countries nationals face heightened denials, reshaping diaspora ties.
Global Reactions and Policy Ramifications
- Third world countries leaders protest vagueness, fearing broad US bans beyond 19 listed.
- IMF warns of 2-3% remittance drops for LDCs; UN urges vetting aid over blanket pauses.
- Echoes prior Trump bans upheld by Supreme Court, likely legal tests ahead.
Nations branded third world countries decry Trump’s migration freeze as discriminatory, with Haiti and Yemen envoys seeking clarifications. African Union flagged 10 affected states, urging WTO interventions. IMF projects $20-30 billion annual hit to third world countries remittances, vital for 15% of GDPs in LDCs. UNCTAD stresses capacity-building over isolation.
Domestically, the policy reverses 2.5 million Biden-era entries, per USCIS estimates, focusing third world countries with overstay rates above 20%. Legal precedents favor executive immigration powers, yet challenges loom on “third world” ambiguity. This recalibrates US as merit-based haven, pressuring third world countries for reforms.
Closing Assessment
President Trump’s halt on third world countries migration marks a pivotal security pivot, linking recent violence to systemic vetting failures across dozens of vulnerable states. By targeting 19 countries of concern and auditing green cards, the administration addresses DHS-documented overstays exceeding 850,000 annually, safeguarding resources for compatible contributors. Official thresholds from UN LDCs and World Bank underscore the economic chasms defining third world countries, where GNI lags far below global norms.
