State Department Freezes Visas for Welfare-Dependent Migrants from 75 Countries

President Donald Trump’s State Department is freezing all visa processing from 75 countries that the agency has discovered produce waves of welfare-dependent migrants to the United States.

On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that such visa processing would be frozen to avoid more welfare-dependent migration to the U.S.

“The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates,” the State Department wrote in a statement. “The freeze will remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.”

“The pause impacts dozens of countries – including Somalia, Haiti, Iran, and Eritrea – whose immigrants often become public charges on the United States upon arrival,” the statement continued. “We are working to ensure the generosity of the American people will no longer be abused. The Trump Administration will always put America First.”

Those countries where visa processing will be frozen are:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.

The move comes after Trump shared data of welfare use among immigrant groups in the U.S., showing that more than 81 percent of migrant households from Bhutan are on welfare, as well as 75 percent of households from Yemen, 72 percent of households from Somalia, 71 percent of households from the Marshall Islands, 68 percent of households from the Dominican Republic, 68 percent of households from Afghanistan, and 66 percent of households from the Congo, among others.

The revelations of massive welfare use among immigrant groups in the U.S. has swept national headlines, mainly after a huge fraud scheme was uncovered by Somali migrants in Minnesota.

As Breitbart News reported, nearly every household headed by Somali migrants in Minnesota is on some form of welfare.

Data reveals that 81 percent of Minnesota households headed by Somalis are on one or more forms of welfare, including 27 percent who are on cash welfare, 54 percent who are on food stamps, and 73 percent who are on Medicaid.

Compare this massive welfare use to native-born Americans residing in Minnesota, only 21 percent of whom are on one or more forms of welfare, including just 6 percent who are on cash welfare, 7 percent who are on food stamps, and 18 percent who are on Medicaid.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.