A leaked State Department memo said the Government is targeting nationalities more likely to require public assistance while living in the US. They are there without authority and must be dealt with according to the law of the United States,” Rabuka said. Other Pacific countries include Samoa at 63.4%, Federated States of Micronesia at 58.1%, Tonga at 54.4%, and Fiji at 40.8%. All the same, it’s not as though the US isn’t guilty of sweeping up Pacific states on to migrant ban lists that ought not be there. Take Tuvalu for instance: in July it was included on a list of countries where visa bans were being strongly considered... by accident.

Source: New Zealand Herald January 17, 2026 07:37 UTC