President Donald Trump announced Thursday night that he will suspend immigration from what he described as “third world countries,” following the shooting of two West Virginia National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. The attack occurred on the eve of Thanksgiving near the busy Farragut West Metro station in downtown Washington, prompting renewed scrutiny of Afghan resettlement policies enacted after the 2021 U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social platform, laying out a sweeping set of directives he intends to implement. “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,” he wrote.
Authorities have identified the shooting suspect as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the United States in September 2021 during the mass evacuation that followed the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. According to federal officials, Lakanwal had previously worked with the CIA and other U.S. entities while in Afghanistan, a relationship that allowed him to qualify for evacuation and relocation during the chaotic summer airlift. After arriving in the U.S., he settled in Washington state before eventually moving to the District of Columbia.
On Thanksgiving Day, Trump confirmed that one of the victims, West Virginia National Guard troop Sarah Beckstrom, died from her wounds. She had been shot in both the head and chest in the attack, which occurred in a well-trafficked area of downtown Washington during the evening commute. The second guardsman, whose name has not been publicly released, remains hospitalized.
The incident has intensified debate about the vetting protocols used during the Afghanistan evacuation. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced Wednesday—before the shooting became public—that it would pause processing immigration requests related to Afghanistan. The agency simultaneously issued new guidance requiring enhanced screening for migrants from 19 countries deemed high-risk. The updated procedures direct immigration officials to weigh country-specific risk factors when evaluating illegal immigrants and applicants from those nations.
National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent addressed the situation Friday, drawing a distinction between the type of background checks Lakanwal underwent in Afghanistan and those traditionally required for entry into the United States. Kent explained that Lakanwal’s evaluation abroad was tailored to service in Afghanistan rather than suitability for permanent resettlement in America. Kent condemned the Biden administration for what he described as a breakdown in longstanding vetting practices applied to Special Immigrant Visas and other immigration pathways.
“During Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, his administration negligently used the vetting standard described above as the standard for being brought directly into the U.S., foregoing previous vetting standards applied to Special Immigrant Visas and any common sense vetting or concern for Americans,” Kent said. “As a result, over 85k Afghans — including individuals with backgrounds similar to this shooter — were rapidly admitted into our country without the rigorous vetting that has protected us in the past.”
The mass evacuation of Afghans in 2021 brought nearly 80,000 individuals to the United States, according to administration figures. Many arrived through humanitarian parole, a temporary status allowing rapid entry without the lengthier vetting tied to visa programs. Critics of the process at the time warned that the speed of the evacuation made thorough screening difficult, while supporters argued that delays would have endangered Afghans who assisted U.S. forces.
The shooting has reignited that debate at a moment when national security policy, immigration, and the legacy of the Afghanistan withdrawal continue to shape Washington’s political landscape.
Following the attack, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized the deployment of 500 additional National Guard troops to the capital. The authorization comes as the administration appeals a federal judge’s ruling that temporarily blocks such deployments. Officials say the additional personnel are intended to reinforce security readiness as the investigation into the shooting continues.
As D.C. authorities piece together details of Lakanwal’s movements and potential motives, the political response has already escalated into a national debate over who should be permitted to enter the country and under what circumstances. Trump’s announcement signals a sweeping shift in immigration policy intentions and sets the stage for further clashes between the administration, federal agencies, and state governments.
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