Former President Donald Trump has ignited a fresh wave of international controversy with his latest immigration policy announcement. On November 28, 2025, Trump declared that the United States would implement a permanent pause on immigration from all countries classified as Third World, reviving discussions about the relevance and appropriateness of the Cold War-era terminology.
The Announcement and Its Immediate Context
The controversial declaration came in the aftermath of a violent incident in Washington, DC, where two National Guard members were shot near the White House. One soldier subsequently died from injuries, and authorities identified an Afghan national as the primary suspect in the attack.
This security incident appears to have directly influenced Trump's sweeping immigration decision. The administration specifically mentioned that it would reexamine all green cards issued to individuals from 19 countries designated as nations of concern following the shooting.
Understanding the Third World Terminology
The president's statement has thrust the term Third World back into global discourse, prompting analysts to explain its evolving meaning. Originally, during the Cold War era, the phrase referred to countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO or the Communist Bloc.
However, following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, the term underwent a significant transformation. It gradually shifted to describe economically poor and non-industrialized nations facing challenges such as high poverty rates, economic instability, and limited access to essential resources.
Modern experts emphasize that the label is now widely considered derogatory and inaccurate. Most contemporary institutions and speakers prefer more precise and respectful alternatives such as developing countries, least-developed countries (based on United Nations Human Development Index), or low-income countries (as defined by World Bank data).
Comprehensive List of Affected Nations
According to the World Population Review, the following countries fall under the Third World classification that would be affected by Trump's immigration ban:
Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, India, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Micronesia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Specific Immigration Policy Changes
In response to the Washington DC shooting, the Trump administration announced additional measures beyond the broad immigration ban. Joe Edlow, director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), stated on social media platform X: At the direction of @POTUS, I have directed a full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern.
Authorities identified the suspect in the National Guard shooting as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who had previously worked with US government agencies, including the CIA. Lakanwal arrived in the United States in 2021 under President Joe Biden's Operation Allies Welcome program. He applied for asylum in 2024 and received approval from the Trump administration in April 2025.
The immigration ban and subsequent policy changes have sparked intense debate among international relations experts, immigration advocates, and political analysts. Many question the continued use of outdated terminology in shaping modern immigration policy, while others express concerns about the humanitarian implications of such sweeping restrictions.
