After Guard Shootings, Trump Calls For Migration Freeze and Targets Immigrants

Trump Vows Migration Freeze After Guard Shootings; Immigrant Communities Fear Crackdown

When historians record Donald Trump’s second presidency, 26 November 2025 may be remembered as a flashpoint. On the eve of Thanksgiving a lone gunman opened fire on two West Virginia National Guard members patrolling outside the Farragut West metro station near the White House. The soldiers, Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, were wounded; Beckstrom died the following day and Wolfe remains in slow recovery from critical injuries.

Authorities have identified the suspected attacker as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan who served with a CIA-linked Afghan partner force and arrived in the United States in 2021 as part of a resettlement program created after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He has been charged with murder and is reported to have had acute mental-health problems. Officials say Lakanwal was granted asylum this year after vetting under the current administration.

President Focuses on Origins, Not Circumstances

Rather than centring his remarks on the victims or the possible role of mental illness, President Trump focused on the attacker’s country of origin. On Thanksgiving he posted a message that omitted traditional expressions of gratitude and instead called for sweeping migration restrictions. In a social-media post he pledged to "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...and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States." He also promised to denaturalize citizens he said "undermine domestic tranquility" and to deport foreign nationals deemed "non-compatible with Western Civilization."

“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…and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States.” — President Donald Trump (social-media post)

Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff and architect of the administration’s immigration policy, reinforced the hardline stance in a social post, arguing that mass migration imports broken social conditions across borders: "You are not just importing individuals. You are importing societies."

Rhetoric Targets Somali Community; Local Fear Rises

The president’s remarks quickly shifted focus to Minnesota’s Somali-American community. According to multiple reports, Mr Trump attacked Somali residents and Representative Ilhan Omar — herself an immigrant from Somalia — using vulgar language and calling them "garbage" during private and public remarks, including a White House cabinet meeting. Some cabinet members reportedly applauded.

Political scientist Larry Jacobs of the University of Minnesota said Somali families are now fearful: children are staying home from school and adults are avoiding work out of concern about detentions. "The main thing that stands out today is just the extraordinary harm that he’s done to a group of people who play a very significant and positive role for Minnesota," Jacobs said.

Enforcement Actions and Travel-Ban Proposals

The rhetoric has been matched by enforcement activity. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched "Operation Catahoula Crunch" in New Orleans with a stated target of 5,000 arrests — a figure local leaders warned would be unrealistic and likely require detaining many people without criminal records. ICE also conducted operations in Minneapolis–St. Paul, where the Department of Homeland Security said some "the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens" were arrested.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem amplified the administration’s stance on social media, calling for a "full travel ban" on unnamed countries she accused of sending "killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies," and later told Fox News she would seek a ban covering 32 unspecified countries — a proposal far broader than the seven-country travel restriction implemented during Mr Trump’s first presidency.

Impact On Legal Residents And Legal Questions

Some lawful permanent residents report cancelled naturalization interviews and disrupted processing. Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia, wrote that while the president may have some authority to suspend entry on national-origin grounds, that power does not permit denying visas, canceling green cards, or denaturalizing people solely because of their country of origin.

Critics, including former Republican congressman Joe Walsh, warn the administration may prioritize political advantage over legal constraints. Walsh said the escalatory rhetoric is aimed at energising a hardline base amid electoral setbacks and could inflame violence or discrimination against Black and brown immigrants.

Broader Consequences

Observers say the combination of incendiary presidential rhetoric and stepped-up enforcement creates immediate risks for immigrant communities and could have wide political and social consequences. Communities report fear and disruption to daily life while legal experts and civil-rights groups consider potential challenges in court.

Note: This article draws on public statements and reporting from late November 2025 and includes direct quotations attributed to officials. All factual claims reflect reported information as of publication.