Trump announces plan to stop migration from Nigeria , other ‘Third World’ countries

United States President, Donald Trump,  has unveiled a sweeping overhaul of America’s immigration policy, declaring his intention to impose a permanent ban on migration from what he described as “Third World countries,” a term commonly used for developing nations in Africa and Asia, including Nigeria.

Speaking at a Thanksgiving event, Trump said long-standing immigration structures were undermining national security and overwhelming public infrastructure.

He argued that the foreign-born population, now at 53 million, included people from “failed nations, prisons, mental institutions, gangs, or drug cartels,” which he linked to increased migration pressures.

“America has been divided, disrupted, carved up, murdered, beaten, mugged, and laughed at,” he said, insisting that immigration had imposed significant financial and social costs across the country.

Trump further claimed that green card holders with modest incomes were still able to access substantial government benefits, which he argued contributed to “social dysfunction.”

He cited a range of challenges he attributed to migration, including crime, overcrowded schools, strained hospitals, and housing shortages.

Using Minnesota as an example, Trump asserted that the arrival of Somali refugees had altered the state in harmful ways. “Our people stay locked in their apartments and houses hoping against hope that they will be left alone,” he said.

The president said the country’s “progress has been eroded” and outlined a set of measures he plans to implement. At the centre of his proposal is a permanent halt to migration from nations he classified as “Third World,” which include many countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

“I will permanently pause migration from all Third World countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover,” he said.

He also vowed to undo what he called “illegal admissions” under the Biden administration, cut off federal benefits for non-citizens, and remove migrants he deemed security threats or financial burdens.

Another part of his plan includes denaturalising individuals he said were undermining “domestic tranquility” and deporting those he described as “non-compatible with Western civilization.” He added that a “major reduction” of what he termed illegal or disruptive populations was necessary, saying that “reverse migration” was the only enduring remedy.

Trump closed his remarks with a pointed Thanksgiving message, saying, “You won’t be here for long,” referring to those he accused of working against American values.

His announcement followed a shooting in Washington, D.C., in which two National Guard personnel were injured. Authorities reported that the suspected gunman arrived in the U.S. in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome after aiding American forces in Afghanistan and was granted asylum in 2023.