Trump moves to halt migration from ‘Third World’ countries after killing of National Guard soldier in DC

Donald Trump, president of the United States, on Thursday, vowed to suspend migration from what he described as “Third World countries,” following the fatal shooting of a National Guard soldier allegedly carried out by an Afghan national in Washington, DC.

The announcement, made in a fiery social media post, marked one of Trump’s most sweeping immigration declarations since his return to office, further intensifying the hard-line policies that have defined his second term. He also threatened to reverse “millions” of admissions granted under former President Joe Biden.

The president had earlier revealed that 20-year-old National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, deployed to Washington as part of his crime-reduction operation, had died from gunshot wounds sustained during Wednesday’s attack.

Federal authorities have since launched an international terrorism investigation. The suspected assailant, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, previously worked alongside US forces in Afghanistan and was resettled in the United States.

Officials described the incident as an “ambush-style” attack on a group of guardsmen patrolling several blocks from the White House. The shooting has ignited debate around three contentious issues: Trump’s domestic deployment of troops, his immigration overhaul, and the lingering fallout of America’s two-decade war in Afghanistan.

“I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover,” Trump wrote. He added that anyone who is “not a net asset to the United States” would be removed.

During a Thanksgiving call with troops, Trump called the attack “a terrorist assault in our nation’s capital” and suggested Lakanwal might have been angered by security restrictions. “Maybe this man was upset because he couldn’t practice crime,” he said.

Joseph Edlow, Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, said he had ordered a comprehensive review of all Green Cards issued to nationals from “countries of concern.” USCIS later referenced 19 such countries already subjected to travel restrictions, including Afghanistan, Iran, Haiti, and Myanmar.

The Biden-era processing of Afghan immigration applications had earlier been halted by the Trump administration.

Growing Questions Over Vetting

US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the suspect had travelled across the country from Washington State before opening fire with a .357 revolver. He faces multiple assault charges that will be upgraded to first-degree murder following Beckstrom’s death.

Lakanwal had been resettled under a programme for Afghans who worked with US intelligence agencies. CIA Director John Ratcliffe said the suspect had once been part of a CIA-backed force fighting the Taliban.

However, AfghanEvac, a group involved in resettling Afghan allies, countered suggestions of lax vetting, stressing that such migrants undergo “some of the most extensive security screening” of any category. The group said Lakanwal received asylum in April 2025, under Trump, and was not a Biden-era admission.

“This individual’s isolated and violent act should not be used to define an entire community,” the group said.

More Troops Deployed

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that 500 additional troops would be sent to the nation’s capital, raising the total deployment to 2,500. Trump has similarly deployed federal troops to several Democrat-run cities, prompting lawsuits and accusations of authoritarian overreach.

The second soldier injured in Wednesday’s attack, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition.