The Trump administration has suspended visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, a move officials say is intended to limit entry by individuals deemed likely to rely on U.S. government benefits. The policy, first reported by Fox News, marks the latest step in a broader effort by the administration to tighten immigration rules and reassess how the government evaluates potential “public charge” risks.
According to the administration, the pause in visa processing is meant to give federal agencies time to review and strengthen screening procedures. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the suspension is aimed at preventing misuse of the immigration system.
“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,” Pigott told The Washington Post.
The White House has not released a full list of the affected countries, but officials confirmed that the suspension includes nations such as Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Russia, and Somalia.
Focus on alleged benefit exploitation
The visa suspension comes amid increased attention by the administration to claims that certain migrant groups exploit government benefits. In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has publicly focused on Somali migrants in Minnesota, a state with one of the largest Somali populations in the country and led by Gov. Tim Walz, a former political opponent.
That focus followed the spread of a viral video alleging fraud involving government programs in Minnesota. In response, federal authorities sent thousands of immigration agents to the state, a move that prompted large protests. During this period, a fatal shooting occurred, resulting in the death of Renee Good.
Administration officials have linked these developments to broader concerns about oversight and enforcement in the immigration system, though details about the alleged fraud have not been fully laid out publicly.
Part of a broader immigration strategy
The current suspension follows earlier actions by the Trump administration to restrict immigration. In December, the White House expanded a U.S. entry ban to citizens of 39 countries, according to The Washington Post. That decision came after authorities charged an Afghan national in the November shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C.
In late November 2025, the Department of Homeland Security also halted the processing of immigration requests from Afghan nationals and announced plans to review pending asylum cases that had been approved under the Biden administration.
The administration has repeatedly argued that immigration policies should more aggressively account for whether applicants are likely to become dependent on public assistance. Trump has previously said immigrants place a burden on public funds and harm the economy, though some research has challenged those claims. A 2017 study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found that immigrants, on average, contribute more in tax revenue than they receive in public benefits.
Proposed changes to “public charge” rules
In November, the Department of Homeland Security proposed ending federal “public charge” regulations that were implemented under former President Joe Biden. The term “public charge” refers to an individual who relies on government benefits.
DHS said the existing rules “hamper DHS’s ability to make accurate, precise, and reliable determinations of whether certain aliens are likely at any time to become a public charge,” according to The Washington Post.
Immigration advocates argue that replacing the current framework with stricter standards could have far-reaching consequences. They warn that immigrants who qualify for benefits such as medical care or food assistance may avoid using them out of fear that doing so could jeopardize their immigration status.
Julia Gelatt, associate director of the U.S. immigration policy program at the Migration Policy Institute, said the administration’s approach could deter eligible families from accessing help.
“The likely result will be that many immigrant families will be afraid to access any public benefits for which a household member is eligible,” Gelatt wrote. She added that confusion around eligibility rules could discourage “hundreds of thousands of people in immigrant families—if not more” from seeking assistance.
Gelatt noted that immigrants who are eligible for public benefits already use them at lower rates than U.S.-born citizens and said children would be especially affected by stricter rules.
“As the proposed rule itself recognizes, this could lead to ‘worse health outcomes’ for immigrants and communities, as well as ‘increased poverty, housing instability, reduced productivity, and lower educational attainment,’” she wrote. “In doing so, the futures of millions of U.S.-citizen children may be hampered.”
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