A new controversial immigration proposal has been put forward by Republican U.S. Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina, seeking to impose a broad entry ban on non-citizens from more than 40 developing countries, labeled as ‘third world nations’ in the legislation. The bill, officially named the Third World Immigration Moratorium Act, targets countries that Mace’s office claims have consistently refused to cooperate with American deportation protocols, declined to share required vetting data for their citizens seeking entry, and forced local U.S. communities to absorb the associated security and social costs.
In Mace’s framing, none of the countries included in the ban meet the threshold to grant their citizens the privilege of entering the United States. She argues that a significant number of the listed nations are either state sponsors of terrorist activity, openly hostile authoritarian regimes, or collapsed failed states that have a documented history of exporting violence and instability to U.S. territory.
Speaking on the legislation, Mace emphasized that the era of unaddressed gaps in U.S. immigration policy has come to an end. “The American people are done playing games and so are we. For too long, Washington has looked the other way while bad actors exploited every gap in our system and American families paid the price. Those days are over,” Mace stated. She doubled down on the hardline stance in her remarks, saying, “If you import the third world, you will become the third world. This bill makes crystal clear: entry into the United States is a privilege, not a right. We make absolutely no apologies for defending it.”
The list of countries covered by the entry ban directly aligns with the geographic scope of a controversial travel restriction proclamation first introduced by former President Donald Trump. Among the nations included are Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, Cuba, Somalia, Libya, and 32 other countries, alongside non-citizens holding travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority.
The legislation includes narrow, targeted exceptions to the ban for specific groups. Lawful permanent residents of the U.S. are exempt, as are dual citizens who hold nationality from a non-designated country. Diplomatic staff and personnel affiliated with NATO treaty obligations are also excluded from the prohibition, alongside elite athletes competing in major international events such as the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. Special immigrant visa holders — including individuals who previously served alongside U.S. military forces in conflict zones — are granted exceptions, as are individuals fleeing verified ethnic and religious persecution in Iran. The U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security also retains the authority to grant discretionary waivers on a case-by-case basis when entering the country is determined to serve a critical verified national interest.
Mace defended the proposal’s broad scope, framing it as a common-sense measure to address long-running failures in U.S. immigration policy. “We are not a dumping ground for the third world’s problems. This bill is a straightforward solution to keep dangerous aliens out and send a message to every country on this list: the free ride is over,” she added.
Beyond the entry restrictions, the bill requires the U.S. Secretary of State, working in consultation with the Attorney General, Secretary of Homeland Security, and Director of National Intelligence, to submit a bipartisan report to Congress every 180 days. The report must assess whether the current entry prohibitions should be maintained, adjusted, or expanded to include additional countries based on changing national security conditions and foreign government cooperation.