🚫’Permanent Pause’: Trump Vows to Halt Migration from ‘Third World Countries’ After DC Shooting

President Links Fatal Attack Near White House to Lax Vetting, Orders Review of All Green Cards from ‘Countries of Concern’

The fatal shooting of a National Guard member near the White House on Wednesday, allegedly by an Afghan national who entered the U.S. under a humanitarian program, has sparked an immediate and sweeping escalation in the Trump administration’s immigration policy. In a late-night social media post, President Donald Trump declared his intent to “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries”—a move that would dramatically reshape the nation’s immigration landscape. The aggressive stance comes just hours after the attack, with the administration directly linking the incident to failures in the vetting process, making the pledge a key component of the new Trump Pause Migration policy.

The Policy Declaration: Reverse Migration

President Trump used his social media platform to outline his goals, stating the Trump Pause Migration initiative would be pursued to allow the U.S. system to “fully recover” and to terminate millions of admissions granted under the previous administration. In addition to the broad “permanent pause,” the policy includes several extreme measures:

• Deportation: Removing anyone deemed “not a net asset to the United States,” a “security risk,” or “non-compatible with Western Civilization.”
• Benefits Cut: Ending all federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens.
• Mass Review: Calling for a rigorous re-examination of all Green Cards issued to immigrants from “every country of concern.”

The President asserted that only “REVERSE MIGRATION” can fully cure the situation, framing the new restrictions as necessary to achieve a “major reduction in illegal and disruptive populations.”

Crackdown on ‘Countries of Concern’

In a parallel move, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director confirmed that, at the President’s direction, the agency would conduct a “full-scale, rigorous re-examination” of every Green Card holder from 19 identified “high-risk” countries. These nations, which include Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Cuba, and Venezuela, were previously subject to travel restrictions imposed earlier in the year.

Furthermore, USCIS issued immediate new guidance allowing officers to consider the applicant’s country of origin as a “strong adverse factor” when evaluating immigration benefits. These immediate actions solidify the intent behind the announced Trump Pause Migration and fulfill campaign pledges for stricter vetting.

The Context of the DC Shooting

The suspect, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, came to the U.S. in 2021 via ‘Operation Allies Welcome’ following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Although he reportedly had no prior criminal history and was a former partner of U.S. forces, his asylum application was approved earlier this year by the current administration. The fact that the attacker was an immigrant granted protected status has served as the key flashpoint for the administration’s dramatic announcement, prompting swift condemnation from human rights groups and Democrats who argue the policies are discriminatory and undermine long-standing humanitarian commitments.