U.S. suspending immigrant visa processing from 75 countries over public assistance

TheState Departmentsaid Wednesday it will suspend the processing ofimmigrantvisas for citizens of 75 countries whose nationals are deemed likely to require public assistance while living inthe United States.

TheState Department, led bySecretaryMarco Rubio, said it had instructed consular officers to haltimmigrantvisa applications from the countries affected in accordance with a broader order issued in November that tightened rules around potential immigrants who might become “public charges” in theU.S.

The suspension, which will beginJan. 21, will not apply to applicants seeking non-immigrantvisas, or temporary tourist or business visas.

“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,” the department said in a statement. “Immigrantvisa processing from these 75 countries will be paused while theState Departmentreassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.”

The statement did not identify which countries would be affected by the pause, but PresidentDonald Trump’sadministration has already severely restrictedimmigrantand non-immigrantvisa processing for citizens of dozens of countries, many of them inAfrica.

AU.S.official said the list includedRussia,IranandSomaliaas well asAfghanistan,BrazilandEgypt, among others. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the list had not been made public yet.