List: 19 'countries of concern' for the US, as per the Trump administration

US President Donald Trump dropped a bombshell on Thursday, saying he's slamming the brakes on migration from all those "third world countries".

This comes right after suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan asylum seeker, gunned down two National Guard soldiers near the White House, at a time when America is already gripped by intense debate over immigration and social benefits for migrants.

Moreover, this has prompted scrutiny of prior Biden-era "Green Card" approvals.

Straight from his Truth Social post, Trump laid it out: "I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the US system to fully recover."

No sugarcoating there. He's talking a total freeze to let things chill and reset. ​

There's more: Trump didn't stop at that — he's gunning to send back "millions" of admissions that happened under his predecessor Joe Biden.

Trump's going full throttle on this, framing it as a total overhaul to protect America first.

Countries of Concern

The Trump administration identified 19 countries as "countries of concern" in a June 2025 presidential proclamation.

The 19 countries are the following:

1. Afghanistan

2. Burma (Myanmar)

3. Burundi

4. Chad

5. Cuba

6. Republic of the Congo

7. Equatorial Guinea

8. Eritrea

9. Haiti

10. Iran

11. Laos

12. Libya

13. Sierra Leone

14. Somalia,

15. Sudan,

16. Togo,

17. Turkmenistan,

18. Venezuela, and

19. Yemen.

​Labelling and timeline

In June 2025, President Donald Trump issued the proclamation imposing full or partial travel restrictions on nationals from these countries citing national security concerns.

On November 27, 2025, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) referenced this list directing a full reexamination of all green cards issued to individuals from these nations following a shooting incident involving an Afghan national​.

Triggers

Triggers include inadequate vetting capabilities, such as countries' inability to issue secure identity documents, ongoing conflicts, political instability, terrorism risks, and weak governance that hinders proper screening of travellers.

​Implications

Green card holders from these countries face rigorous reexaminations incorporating "negative, country-specific elements," potentially leading to revocations or deportations.

Travel bans fully restrict entry for some (e.g., Afghanistan, Iran) and partially for others (e.g., Cuba, Venezuela), with exceptions for permanent residents or special cases.

Meanwhile, asylum processing for Afghans is halted indefinitely.

This escalates broader immigration crackdowns, including reviews of Biden-approved cases, amid claims of national security threats from unvetted entries.

While calling out those Biden-era green lights, Trump also vowed to boot "anyone who is not a net asset to the United States."

Harsh, right? Now, get this: he's planning to cut off every single federal benefit and subsidy for non-US citizens.

Plus, deport citywide for any foreign national who's a security risk or just "non-compatible with Western Civilisation."