Trump suspends ‘Third World’ migration after Fatal Shooting Near White House

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that his administration would suspend migration from what he described as “Third World countries” following the fatal shooting of a National Guard soldier in Washington, D.C., allegedly carried out by an Afghan national.

The attack occurred on Wednesday in what authorities described as an ambush-style assault near the White House. Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old member of the West Virginia National Guard, was killed, while Andrew Wolfe, 24, was seriously injured. The suspected gunman, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, is in critical condition after being shot during the incident.

In a series of statements and social media posts, Trump linked the attack to immigration policy, saying he would “permanently pause migration” from certain countries to allow the U.S. system to “fully recover.” He also threatened to reverse millions of immigration approvals issued under former President Joe Biden, adding that his administration would remove individuals deemed “not a net asset to the United States.”

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow announced a comprehensive review of Green Cards issued to immigrants from countries classified as high-risk, including Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, and Myanmar. The Trump administration had already halted the processing of Afghan immigration applications earlier this year.

Washington, D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the attack was deliberate and targeted, noting that the suspect drove from the western United States to the capital and opened fire on National Guard patrols using a revolver. Lakanwal has been charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill, which may be upgraded to first-degree murder depending on the victims’ conditions.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed that the suspect had previously worked with a CIA-backed Afghan counterterrorism unit and entered the U.S. through a post-withdrawal resettlement program. While some administration officials criticized prior vetting procedures, Afghan resettlement group AfghanEvac said the suspect had undergone extensive screening and warned against stigmatizing the broader Afghan community.

Following the incident, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the deployment of 500 additional troops to Washington, increasing the total military presence to 2,500. Similar troop deployments to other U.S. cities have sparked legal challenges and renewed debate over executive authority.