US pauses immigrant visas for citizens of Somalia, over 70 other countries

The United States said on Wednesday it was suspending the processing of immigrant visas from 75 countries, President Donald Trump's latest move against foreigners seeking to come to America.

The United States has long rejected visas from people who appear likely to end up needing government welfare, but the State Department said it would now use the same authority for a blanket suspension of immigrant visas based on nationality.

"The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America's immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people," State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.

"Immigrant visa processing from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassesses immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits," he said.

Egypt also reported to be on list

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X that the countries affected would include Somalia, as well as Russia and Iran.

Leavitt linked to a Fox News article that said other countries affected would include a number of countries with friendly relations with the United States, including Brazil, Egypt and Thailand.

The State Department did not immediately release a full list of countries.

Trump has made no secret of his desire to reduce immigration by people who are not of European descent.

More than 605,000 people deported

The State Department said on Monday that it has revoked more than 100,000 visas since Trump's return, a one-year record.

The Department of Homeland Security last month said that the Trump administration has deported more than 605,000 people, and that 2.5 million others left on their own.

The latest move does not affect tourist, business or other visas, including for football fans seeking to visit for this year's World Cup, although the Trump administration has vowed to vet all applicants' social media histories.