Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona has strongly condemned President Donald Trump’s decision to indefinitely freeze migration from “Third-World countries,” arguing the policy betrays racial bias against immigrants of color and undermines American values.
Kelly, a retired Navy captain and former astronaut, voiced his concerns in a public interview, stating that the language used in the policy — especially the phrasing about barring people from certain countries — signals a broader effort to exclude “brown people” from entering the United States. He described the stance as disturbing and fundamentally un-American.
His remarks come amid intensified national debate over immigration policy following a fatal attack in Washington, D.C., in which the alleged shooter was an Afghan national admitted under previous resettlement efforts. The incident has been cited by Trump and supporters as justification for the migration pause.
Kelly’s condemnation adds to the growing discord between lawmakers over how immigration, security, and humanitarian concerns should be balanced — highlighting broad disagreements over the tone and implications of current U.S. immigration policy.