WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Friday that the State Department would cease activities that, in his words, “facilitate or encourage mass migration.” The move, he said, was part of an effort to curb illegal immigration and bolster border security.
“Our diplomatic relations with other countries, particularly in the Western Hemisphere, will prioritize securing America’s borders, stopping illegal and destabilizing migration, and negotiating the repatriation of illegal immigrants,” Mr. Rubio said in a statement.
The New York Times reported Friday that the Department of Homeland Security has effectively paused several programs that allow immigrants to temporarily settle in the United States. According to the report, a directive from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services calls for halting final decisions on certain visa applications pending a broader review by the Trump administration, which is considering the programs’ permanent cancellation.
The suspended programs include avenues for immigrants from countries such as war-torn Ukraine and nations grappling with political upheaval or extreme poverty. The policy shift underscores the administration’s broader strategy to curb both legal and illegal immigration.
On Monday, Jan. 20, President Trump issued a series of executive orders aimed at deterring illegal immigration and streamlining the deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants. Among the measures is a push to expand the authority of state and local law enforcement to detain individuals in the country without legal status, invoking an obscure federal immigration statute.
The administration’s enforcement measures have raised concerns about their impact on vulnerable populations, including refugees and allies of the United States. The halt in the refugee resettlement program has affected thousands of Afghan nationals who worked alongside the U.S. military and contractors during the two-decade NATO presence in Afghanistan.
The suspension of resettlement for Afghan allies has sparked bipartisan concern in Congress, where lawmakers have urged the administration to honor its commitments to those who risked their lives to assist American forces.
“This is not just a question of immigration policy; it’s a matter of national honor,” one congressional aide said on Friday. “We owe it to these individuals to ensure their safety.”
