Trump Announces Immigration Suspension from ‘Third World Countries’ After Afghan Suspect Named in DC National Guard Shooting

President Donald Trump declared Thursday that the United States will “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries” to “allow the US system to fully recover,” in a sweeping escalation of his immigration crackdown, just one day after an Afghan national was identified as the suspect in the fatal shooting of two National Guard members near the White House.

In a pair of incendiary Truth Social posts on Thanksgiving, Trump vowed to “terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions,” end federal benefits for “noncitizens,” and “denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility” or are “incapable of loving our Country.” He also pledged to “deport any foreign national who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western civilization.”

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The announcement followed the identification of 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the US in 2021 via the Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome program for Afghan allies, as the alleged gunman. Lakanwal, who had worked with US forces including the CIA in counterterrorism units, applied for asylum in 2024 and was granted it in April 2025 under the Trump administration. He was wounded in the exchange and taken into custody after ambushing the soldiers near Farragut West Metro station on November 26.

National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom, 20, from West Virginia, died from her wounds on November 27; her colleague Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition. Authorities described the attack as a “targeted ambush,” with Lakanwal—residing in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children—having no prior criminal history but under scrutiny for vetting failures.

Trump’s directive prompted USCIS Director Joseph Edlow to order an “immediate and indefinite suspension” of all Afghan immigration processing and a “full-scale, rigorous re-examination” of green cards from 19 “countries of concern”—including Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Myanmar, Venezuela, and Yemen—citing Biden-era “reckless resettlement policies.” This builds on October’s refugee cap of 7,500 for 2026—the lowest since 1980—and a review of 200,000 Biden-era admissions.

Critics, including immigrant rights groups, decried the rhetoric as xenophobic, arguing it scapegoats migrants without evidence linking Lakanwal’s background to the attack—FBI Director Kash Patel called it a “targeted ambush” with no terrorism charges yet. Lakanwal, who lived in Bellingham, Washington, with his family, underwent annual vetting with no red flags, per officials.

The policy, lacking specifics on “Third World” definitions, targets the Global South and aligns with Trump’s “America First” agenda, amid ongoing raids arresting thousands of undocumented migrants. Legal challenges are expected, with critics warning of humanitarian fallout for refugees and allies like Afghans who aided US efforts