U.S. President Donald Trump says he plans to permanently stop migration from what he called “Third World countries” as part of a sweeping reversal of immigration admissions made under the Biden administration.
In a strongly worded statement posted on his social media platform on Thursday, Trump claimed the U.S. immigration system is under “severe strain,” alleging that recent migrant inflows have burdened public services and contributed to rising costs in major American cities.
Citing census data, he said the foreign-born population has reached 53 million a figure immigration specialists warn often oversimplifies demographic shifts and federal resettlement trends.
Trump faulted former President Joe Biden’s immigration policies for what he described as infrastructural pressure, uneven refugee integration, and heightened fiscal burdens on state and local governments.
He singled out states like Minnesota as jurisdictions “struggling to cope,” while attacking Democratic leaders at both federal and state levels.
Trump’s Statement
In excerpts from his message, Trump declared:
“I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions… and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States.”
He said he would move to end federal benefits for noncitizens, revoke the citizenship of migrants he claims “undermine domestic tranquility,” and deport any foreign national he considers a security risk or a public charge.
Trump also vowed to undo what he described as Biden’s “unauthorized Autopen approvals,” adding that “only reverse migration can fully cure this situation.”
He ended his message with a sharply worded holiday note:
“HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for. You won’t be here for long!”
Political Context
The statement comes as Trump intensifies his messaging on immigration, a longstanding pillar of his political platform, ahead of the next election cycle. Recent U.S. polls show immigration has risen to become one of voters’ top concerns—particularly among Republicans and right-leaning independents.
Link to National Guard Shooting
Trump’s remarks also follow a deadly shooting in Washington, D.C., where two National Guard members were shot a day before Thanksgiving.
Twenty-year-old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, who had volunteered to serve during the holiday, died of her injuries. A second soldier, Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition.
Authorities identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan who entered the U.S. in 2021 under a relocation program created after America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Investigators say he was injured during his arrest and remains hospitalised.