Trump Says He Will 'Permanently Pause' Migration From 'Third World Countries' Following Guard Shooting Incident

On the evening of Thanksgiving, following the tragic death of a US Army Specialist, President Donald Trump unveiled an extreme escalation of his administration's anti-migrant policy, promising to 'permanently pause migration from all third world countries.'

The declaration, posted to his Truth Social account just after 11 pm on Thursday, arrived hours after the president sorrowfully announced the death of Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, one of the two National Guard members shot in a targeted attack near the White House on Wednesday.

The incident, which has swiftly become a political flashpoint, was allegedly carried out by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national.

Trump's late-night screed—which began with the incongruous salutation, 'a very happy Thanksgiving'—did not specify which nations he intended to target or what the administration meant by the outdated term 'third-world'.

Instead, the post served as a blistering attack that, without evidence, blamed migrants and refugees for pressing domestic issues such as 'high crime' and America's 'rising deficit'.

In addition to promising a 'permanent pause' on migration, the president said his administration would 'end all federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens' and remove 'anyone who is not a net asset to the United States.'

The logistics of enacting such a sweeping 'pause' were not made clear, especially given that previous, less stringent bans issued by the Trump administration have consistently faced challenges in US courts and in Congress.

Widespread Immigration Crackdown Following The Washington DC Shooting

The suspect at the centre of the national security debate, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the US in September 2021 under 'Operation Allies Welcome,' a programme initiated by the Biden administration that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans following the chaotic US military withdrawal from the country.

However, the circumstances surrounding Lakanwal's status complicate the political rhetoric.

Reuters reported, and the CIA confirmed, that Lakanwal had previously worked with military units backed by the agency during the US war in Afghanistan. Crucially, he was granted asylum in April this year, under the Trump administration.

Lakanwal was injured in the attack, and he remains in custody. The second guard member, Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, who was shot, is still 'fighting for his life', according to the president.

In the 24 hours immediately following the shooting, the president and his administration moved swiftly to announce sweeping immigration reforms.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) first announced an indefinite suspension of processing all immigration requests related to Afghan nationals, pending further review of security and vetting protocols.

This was quickly expanded. Later, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the administration was widening the review to include all asylum cases approved under the Biden administration.

The DHS did not clarify whether this review would cover asylum cases from only Afghanistan or if it would be extended to other countries as well.

Donald Trump's Directive: Re-Examining Green Cards

In a clear escalation of policy driven by the president himself, Joseph Edlow, the director of USCIS, issued a statement confirming a broader directive.

He announced he was directing a 'full-scale, rigorous re-examination of every green card for every alien from every country of concern,' at President Trump's specific request. The USCIS statement did not initially specify which countries were considered 'countries of concern.'

However, USCIS subsequently referred media to a June presidential proclamation that had already placed immigration restrictions on citizens from 19 countries. This list reportedly includes Afghanistan, Somalia, Burundi, Laos, Togo, Venezuela, Sierra Leone, and Turkmenistan.

President Trump also singled out Somali communities in Minnesota in his social media post, just one week after he promised to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for people from Somalia in that state.

The deployment of National Guard troops across Washington DC has been a highly contentious issue. The troops have been positioned in the capital since August, when the Trump administration declared a 'crime emergency' and ordered them in to support federal and local law enforcement. Soon after Wednesday's shooting, Trump said he would send 500 more National Guard troops to Washington DC.

This action comes despite a federal judge last week ordering an end to the National Guard deployment, though the order was put on hold for 21 days to allow the administration time to either appeal the decision or remove the troops.

The proposed 'permanent pause' and subsequent crackdown recalls the travel ban issued during Trump's first term in 2017. That policy was widely criticised and faced significant legal and popular resistance after Trump attempted to impose it immediately after taking office.

That policy was ultimately retooled after protracted courtroom fights, but it was later rescinded entirely by Joe Biden in 2021.