Key insights
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Freeze is tied to welfare-use rationale: The State Department said the pause targets countries “whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates” and said it will remain until the US can ensure new immigrants will not “extract wealth from the American people”.
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Scope excludes temporary visas: A State Department spokesman said the freeze will not apply to non-immigrant tourist or business visa applicants.
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Advocates and analysts said the impact is broad: David Bier said the action will ban nearly half of all legal immigrants and turn away about 315,000 legal immigrants over the next year, and Aaron Reichlin-Melnick said immigrant visas have been banned or suspended for 90 countries when combined with earlier travel bans.
Takeaways
The United States plans to start a January 21 pause on immigrant visa processing for 75 countries while continuing broader immigration enforcement and visa restrictions under the Trump administration.
Topics
World & Politics Policy & Regulation International Affairs Migration