(BERKELEY COUNTY, South Carolina) – A proposed United States law would ban all immigration from Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan, three African nations facing severe conflict and instability.
Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina announced the legislation, arguing it is needed to stop security threats entering America from what she called some of the world’s most unstable places. “We will not put the interests of foreign nationals ahead of the safety and security of American citizens,” Mace said. “No more importing instability. No more ignoring the warning signs. No more apologizing for putting our country first. America First. Always.”
The Congresswoman later wrote on social media that the United States was “being invaded” and that America “will not become the next Europe.” She described the three African nations as among the most dangerous countries globally and said their immigrants “do not assimilate to our American values, culture or constitution.” She added, “America is not a doormat or dumping ground for the third world.”
The bill must still pass committee review, secure majority votes in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and receive President Donald Trump’s signature to become law. Republicans currently control both chambers, but the proposal remains in its early stages.
The three countries named have all faced prolonged periods of upheaval. Sudan has been gripped by a devastating civil war since April 2023, creating one of the world’s largest displacement crises. South Sudan continues to struggle with political instability and local violence despite gaining independence in 2011. Somalia has endured decades of insecurity, with the Islamist militant group al-Shabaab remaining a persistent threat.
The proposal arrives as the Trump administration pursues a tougher immigration agenda, with increased scrutiny of migration, asylum claims and border security. If enacted, it would mark one of the latest Republican efforts to tighten US immigration policy toward nations viewed as posing elevated security risks.