Donald Trump has announced plans to “permanently pause migration” to the U.S. from all “third world countries.” In a post on Through Social, the president stated that this decision would “allow the U.S. system to fully recover” from immigration policies that he claims have undermined the “gains and living conditions” of many Americans. He did not specify the details of his plan or which countries would be impacted.
Trump’s remarks follow a day after an Afghan national was charged with shooting two members of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., resulting in one death. This incident and subsequent announcements reflect a further hardening of Trump’s immigration stance, a key issue for him throughout his political career.
Sarah Beckstrom, 20, succumbed to her injuries, while a second guardsman remains in critical condition, Donald Trump says.
Trump previously said Wednesday’s shooting in Washington DC underlined a major national security threat and promised to take steps to remove any foreigner “from any country who does not belong here”. The same day, the US suspended processing all immigration requests from Afghans, saying the decision was made pending a review of “security and vetting protocols”. Then on Thursday, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said it would re-examine green cards issued to individuals who migrated to the US from 19 countries. When asked in a press interview of which countries were on the list, the agency pointed to a June proclamation by the White House that included Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Somalia and Venezuela.
Suspect in DC shooting is Afghan
The series of announcements follows reports regarding Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the suspect in the Washington DC shooting, who arrived in the US in 2021. Mr. Lakanwal was granted entry through a program that provided special immigration protections to Afghans who had collaborated with US forces following the American exit from Afghanistan. At that time, with the Taliban regaining control, there were significant concerns about potential reprisals against individuals who had assisted the US. According to the current director of the CIA, Mr. Lakanwal previously worked with the agency.
