President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he plans to temporarily halt immigration from third-world countries after the shooting of two National Guard troops that took place in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.
In a post on Truth Social, the president wrote:
…Even as we have progressed technologically, Immigration Policy has eroded those gains and living conditions for many. I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden’s Autopen, and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country, end all Federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens of our Country, denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization.
Trump stated that the objective is “achieving a major reduction in illegal and disruptive populations, including those admitted through an unauthorized and illegal Autopen approval process” and that “Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation.”
Prior to Trump’s announcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in a post on X declared that “processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols.
Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols.
— USCIS (@USCIS) November 27, 2025
The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and…
A 29-year-old Afghan national named Rehmanullah Lakanwal allegedly shot two members of the West Virginia National Guard near Farragut Square in downtown Washington, D.C. He is reported to have walked up to the two service members while they were on foot patrol near a Metro station and opened fire on them with a handgun.
20-year-old Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom was hit multiple times. She later died from her wounds. 24-year-old Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Rolfe was also shot and remains in critical condition. Another service member who was not hit fired back at the suspect and helped to stop the assault.
The incident appears to be an act of radical Islamic terrorism. The suspect came to the United States after working with U.S. forces during the war in Afghanistan. He is facing first-degree murder charges along with multiple counts of assault with intent to kill.