The Trump administration is implementing restrictions on all major legal immigration categories, aimed at significantly reducing the number of immigrants entering the United States.

Measures include a freeze on processing by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and refusals by State Department officials to process applications abroad. The policy, led by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, is expected to reduce legal immigration by 33% to 50% during Trump's term, equivalent to 1.5 to 2.4 million people.

About 55,000 diversity visa slots have been rejected for processing, with officials directly prohibiting winners from entering or adjusting their status. Announcements restricting nationals from 39 countries, including Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Afghanistan, and Haiti, from entering with immigrant or temporary visas have been made.

The State Department will suspend processing of immigrant visas for 75 countries starting January 2026, citing high rates of welfare acceptance among immigrants from these countries. The final public charge rule, set to be finalized in July 2026, will grant officials greater discretion to deny permanent residency applications.

These restrictions affect U.S. citizens sponsoring spouses, children, and other family members for reunification, as well as employment-based immigration pathways. The policy, combined with travel bans and visa suspensions, covers multiple categories including family, employment, refugees, and lottery.

From a market mechanism perspective, this is a policy-driven event. The contraction of labor supply raises labor costs in specific industries, shifting funds and corporate resources towards domestic hiring or automation; beneficiaries include domestic political alliances supporting the restrictions and certain low-skilled labor groups, while those under pressure include agriculture, technology, healthcare, and family reunification sectors reliant on immigrant labor.

Source: Public Information