The State Department on Wednesday announced it plans to suspend the processing of immigrant visas for people from 75 countries.
In a post, the administration said that the pause would include immigrants from countries including Somalia, Haiti, Iran and Eritrea.
“The freeze will remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people,” the State Department said in the post. “We are working to ensure the generosity of the American people will no longer be abused.”
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The department directly tied the visa pause to public assistance use.
“Immigrant visa processing from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits,” the Department said in a statement to The Associated Press.
The news agency reported that the new policy does not include people seeking “non-immigrant” visas, or tourist and business visas.
The State Department did not provide NOTUS a full list of countries affected by the change.
The indefinite pause on the processing of visa applications will reportedly begin on Jan. 21, according to outlets including Fox News, which first reported the change.
The decision is part of a broader Trump administration mission to use the possibility of reliance on assistance programs as a way to restrict immigration. In November, the Trump administration proposed a rule that would leave immigration officers more discretion to decide what public assistance usage could be considered when looking at immigration visa applications.
Immigration advocates who oppose the proposed rule said that the change could hurt immigrant families, making them less likely to seek care or help due to fear of their status.
Adriana Cadena, executive director of Protecting Immigrant Families, said in a statement that Black, Latino and Asian immigrants would be most affected by the decision to pause visa considerations, based on the full list of nations reported by FOX.
“Being a person of color doesn’t make someone more likely to become a ‘public charge’ dependent on government assistance. That’s not how America works — at least it’s not how America should work,” Cadena said. “Members of Congress must demand, yet again, that the Trump administration follow the law.”
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Editor’s Note: This story was updated with additional reporting.
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