Trump calls Afghanistan a ‘hellhole’ country as US expands immigration restrictions

U.S. President Donald Trump has reignited controversy after referring to Afghanistan, Haiti, Somalia, and other developing nations as “hellholes,” while asserting that he prefers immigrants from countries such as Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

The remarks were delivered during a rally in Pennsylvania, where Trump vigorously defended his administration’s tightening of immigration policies.

The comments come days after the U.S. government suspended all immigration requests — including green card and citizenship applications — from Afghan nationals and citizens of 18 other countries. The affected nations, all outside Europe, include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

The policy shift follows an attack in Washington involving U.S. National Guard personnel. Authorities identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who had been granted asylum in April. The incident has fueled renewed scrutiny of Afghan migrants in particular.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has implemented a series of sweeping immigration crackdowns, which have further intensified in the wake of the Washington attack.

His latest remarks and policy moves have drawn criticism from rights groups and lawmakers who say they unfairly target vulnerable populations and undermine America’s global standing.