WASHINGTON, Jan 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is suspending processing for immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries, a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday, as part of Washington's intensifying immigration crackdown.
The pause, which will impact applicants from countries including Somalia, Iran, Russia, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Yemen, Thailand and Brazil, will begin on January 21, the spokesperson said. It does not affect visitor visas.
The memo outlining
the suspension, which was first reported by Fox News, directs U.S. embassies to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses its procedures.
"The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates," the department said in a post on X. "The freeze will remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people."
Trump has pursued a sweeping immigration crackdown since returning to office in January. His administration has aggressively prioritized immigration enforcement, sending federal agents to major U.S. cities and sparking violent confrontations with both migrants and U.S. citizens.
The State Department has revoked more than 100,000 visas since Trump took office, it said on Monday. The administration has also adopted a stricter policy on granting visas, with tightened social media vetting and expanded screening.
In November, Trump had vowed to "permanently pause" migration from all "Third World Countries" following a shooting near the White House by an Afghan national that killed a National Guard member.
(Reporting by Susan Heavey, Simon Lewis and Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Costas Pitas and Rosalba O'Brien)
