15/01/2026
๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ - The freeze seeks to clamp down on applicants likely to need public benefits.
The State Department is freezing immigrant visa processing for 75 countries in an effort to clamp down on applicants it deems likely to become a public charge.
The directive instructs embassies and consulates to halt decisions beginning Jan. 21 . . . while the department reassesses its vetting procedures under existing immigration law, according to an internal memo first reported by Fox News Digital.
The effort comes months before the United States is set to co-host the 2026 World Cup with nearly 2 million tickets sold to fans around the world. The Trump administration previously said "any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling to the World Cup" would be exempt from travel bans.
๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ช๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ข๐ข๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ซ๐๐จ๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ก๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฃ-๐๐ข๐ข๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ซ๐๐จ๐๐จ, ๐ค๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐ค๐ง ๐๐ช๐จ๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐จ๐๐จ, ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐ช๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐ข๐๐๐ค๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐ค๐ ๐ซ๐๐จ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐จ, the State Department said.
As such, the suspensions announced would not apply for those seeking to travel to the World Cup in the U.S. this summer.
DHS announces termination of protected status for Somalis after group targeted by the Trump administration in bringing an end to the abuse of Americaโs immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people," State Department principal deputy spokesman Tommy Pigott said in statement Wednesday.
"The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people."
PHOTO: Donald Trump during the signing of executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House, September 19, 2025. Trump signed a two executive orders establishing the "Trump Gold Card" and introducing a $100,000 fee for H-1B visas.
The "Trump Gold Card" is a visa program that allows foreign nationals permanent residency and a pathway to U.S. citizenship.
๐พ๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ช๐จ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ช๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ข๐๐ก๐๐, ๐๐ช๐จ๐จ๐๐, ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ, ๐ฝ๐ง๐๐ฏ๐๐ก, ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ, ๐๐ง๐๐ฆ, ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฉ, ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฃ, ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐ข๐๐ข๐ค . . . but the full list of countries was not immediately available.
"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".
Notably, Somalia has drawn scrutiny from the Trump administration in recent days following reports of fraud in Minnesota's social services system. A self-proclaimed independent journalist posted a video last month alleging child care fraud in Minneapolis' Somali communities.
Several state and local officials have disputed the accuracy of the video, and authorities said at the time none of the centers featured in the video were accused of fraud.
Federal authorities are investigating the allegations in the state's social services system, while Minnesota officials have disputed the claims of fraud.
President Donald Trump recently criticized Somali immigrants, describing them as "garbage" and saying he doesn't want them in the United States during a Cabinet meeting last month.
The Trump administration announced Tuesday it would end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis in March, effectively forcing as many as 2,400 people out of the U.S., despite the president's remarks last month that Somalia was "barely a country."
In November, the State Department circulated a cable to consular offices worldwide directing staff to apply stricter screening measures under the โpublic chargeโ provision.
Under the guidance, officers are required to deny visas to applicants considered likely to depend on public assistance.
Extracts ๐พ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐พ ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ - By Mariam Khan
January 14, 2026.
