After DC Shooting, Trump Escalates Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric — Calls Somalis 'Garbage' as Visa and Asylum Pauses Follow

Trump Intensifies Hostile Rhetoric Toward Immigrants After DC Shooting

Following a shooting in Washington, DC, that injured two National Guard members and for which an Afghan man has been named a suspect, President Donald Trump and several senior administration figures sharply escalated hostile language toward immigrant groups — particularly Afghans and Somalis — and announced immediate policy responses.

What Officials Said

In public remarks over the Thanksgiving period and in a subsequent cabinet meeting, Mr. Trump made sweeping statements about Afghan and Somali immigrants. He said the United States had "a lot of problems with Afghans" and asserted that "many of these people are criminals." At a cabinet meeting he described Somali immigrants as "garbage" who "contribute nothing," adding, "Their country is no good for a reason. Their country stinks. We don't want them in our country." A White House spokesperson later echoed strong language, referring to the suspect as an "animal."

"We must now re-examine every single alien from Afghanistan who has entered our country under Biden," the president declared, according to official statements.

Other Political Reactions and Policy Moves

Several Republican lawmakers and advisers urged aggressive action. Senator J.D. Vance called for intensified deportations of people without legal status. Senator Tommy Tuberville used social media to demand an immediate ban on what he described as "all ISLAM immigrants," while Representative Chip Roy urged the administration to "stop importing Islamists" and to "reject Sharia law." Top adviser Stephen Miller defended broad restrictions on migration, arguing that mass migration imports "societies" that recreate the conditions of failed states.

The administration has paired rhetoric with immediate policy steps. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced an indefinite suspension of immigration requests related to Afghan nationals pending a review of security and vetting protocols. Officials also said they were pausing immigration applications filed by people born in 19 non-European countries, halting some asylum decisions, temporarily blocking Afghans from obtaining U.S. visas, and signaling an increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in Minnesota.

Context About The Suspect

Authorities reported that the named suspect arrived in the United States in 2021 through an evacuation program and was later granted asylum, according to officials. The shooting prompted immediate scrutiny of vetting processes, with the White House attributing the presence of the suspect to previous evacuation policies.

Criticism From Advocates, Experts and Community Leaders

Civil-rights groups, refugee resettlement organizations and legal experts sharply criticized the tone and the policy response. Church World Service called the approach a "campaign of collective punishment." Democratic lawmakers described the remarks as "xenophobic and unacceptable."

Susan Benesch, executive director of the Dangerous Speech Project, called the "garbage" comment a classic form of dehumanization and warned that combining dehumanizing language with punitive policy decisions amplifies harm. Lynne Tirrell, a philosopher who studies language and social harm, described the statements as "reckless speech" that can normalize derogatory behavior and potentially lead to discriminatory or violent acts.

Community organizers in Minnesota reported a palpable rise in fear among Somali residents and an uptick in ICE activity. Afghan refugees and resettlement advocates said many people are afraid to leave their homes. Leaders of immigration-law groups, including the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), emphasized that many refugees processed through special programs undergo extensive vetting by U.S. authorities — including military and Department of Justice screening, application review and biometrics — and warned that broad, birthplace-based pauses target groups rather than responding to specific intelligence.

Ongoing Debate

The episode has deepened partisan divides over immigration and national security. Supporters of the administration argue the moves are necessary to protect public safety and reassess vetting. Critics say the rhetoric is dangerous, dehumanizing, and risks inflaming tensions or prompting violence while undermining established refugee-screening processes.

Key takeaway: The combination of inflammatory public remarks and sweeping policy actions has heightened fear among immigrant communities, drawn warnings from experts about dehumanizing language and prompted a national debate over the balance between security and the rights and safety of migrants and refugees.