President Donald Trump announced late Thursday that he intends to suspend immigration from countries he described as "Third World Countries," saying the pause would allow the U.S. immigration system to "fully recover." He did not specify when the suspension would take effect or which countries would be designated under that label.
What prompted the announcement
The statement followed a Wednesday shooting in downtown Washington, D.C., just blocks from the White House, in which a National Guard member was killed and a second Guard member was critically wounded. Authorities have detained a suspect identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who was admitted to the United States in September 2021 during the evacuations that followed the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Policy actions proposed
In his post, Mr. Trump said he would "permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover." He also said he would "terminate" the legal status of millions of migrants admitted under the prior administration and "remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States."
Mr. Trump added that he would end "Federal benefits and subsidies" for some noncitizens and deport foreign nationals judged to be a "security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization." The announcement included no operational details about how these policies would be implemented or which benefits would be affected.
Administrative reviews under way
Officials said the administration has launched a "full-scale, rigorous reexamination" of green cards issued to immigrants from 19 countries described as "of concern," a list that includes Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, Libya, Sudan, Yemen and Venezuela. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson also confirmed a review of asylum cases approved under the previous administration.
Separately, on Nov. 21 the administration directed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to review refugee admissions from the prior year.
Details about the suspect
DHS officials said Lakanwal was paroled into the United States on humanitarian grounds in September 2021 and that his asylum claim was granted earlier this year. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the suspect had been living with his family in Bellingham, Washington, and drove across the country to Washington, D.C., before the attack. Mr. Trump said the suspect was shot by a National Guard member following the ambush and remains in serious condition.
The CIA disclosed that Lakanwal previously worked alongside U.S. government forces, including the CIA, as part of a partner unit in Kandahar; that relationship ended with the U.S. withdrawal in 2021.
Context and next steps
The administration characterizes these actions as a response to security concerns raised by the incident and has signaled broader, tougher immigration policies going forward. Key operational questions remain unanswered, including the legal basis, timeline and practical mechanics for pausing immigration, terminating statuses, and changing benefit eligibility.
Note: Many details are being reviewed by federal authorities; official guidance on any policy changes had not been released at the time of this report.
