Trump Announces Drastic Immigration Measures After Soldier's Death
US President Donald Trump has declared he will suspend migration from what he termed "third world countries" following a tragic shooting in Washington DC that claimed the life of a National Guard soldier. The announcement came just one day after an Afghan national allegedly ambushed and shot two guardsmen deployed in the nation's capital.
The fatal attack occurred on Wednesday when 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, a West Virginia National Guard member, was gunned down while on patrol duty. The young soldier succumbed to her injuries, marking a somber moment for the military community.
Details of the Deadly Ambush
According to US attorney for Washington DC Jeanine Pirro, the suspected assailant has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who had been living in the western state of Washington. Pirro described the incident as a "brazen and targeted" attack where the gunman used a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver to open fire on guardsmen patrolling just blocks from the White House.
The second victim, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition and is "fighting for his life" according to President Trump. The suspected shooter is also in serious condition following the incident.
Officials have charged Lakanwal with three counts of assault with intent to kill, with Pirro confirming these charges would be upgraded to first-degree murder if any of the guardsmen died. The FBI has launched an international terror investigation into the shooting.
Trump's Immediate Policy Response
In a social media post that signaled a significant escalation of his administration's anti-immigration stance, President Trump declared: "I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover."
The Republican leader went further, threatening to reverse "millions" of admissions granted under his predecessor Joe Biden and to "remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States."
During a Thanksgiving video call with US troops, Trump expressed the nation's "anguish and horror" at what he described as a terrorist attack. He connected the shooting directly to his decision to deploy National Guard troops to Washington, suggesting the attacker "was upset because he couldn't practice crime" due to their presence.
The administration moved quickly to implement these changes, with Joseph Edlow, Trump's director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), ordering a "full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern."
Afghan Connection and Security Concerns
New details emerging about the alleged gunman have revealed a complex background. According to multiple US media reports and confirmation from CIA director John Ratcliffe, Lakanwal had previously worked with a CIA counterterrorism unit in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban.
The suspect came to the United States as part of a program to evacuate Afghans who had collaborated with the agency during the war. However, senior Trump administration officials, including heads of the FBI, CIA and Homeland Security, have insisted that Lakanwal was granted unvetted access to the United States due to lax asylum policies following the chaotic final US withdrawal from Afghanistan under former president Biden.
Contrary to these claims, AfghanEvac, a group that assisted in resettling Afghans after the military withdrawal, stated that such individuals undergo "some of the most extensive security vetting" of any migrants. The group noted that Lakanwal had been granted asylum in April 2025 under the Trump administration and would have been eligible to request permanent residency a year later.
Shawn VanDiver, president of AfghanEvac, cautioned against using "this individual's isolated and violent act" to "define or diminish an entire community."
The Trump administration had earlier ordered an immediate halt to processing immigration applications from Afghanistan following the shooting. USCIS later pointed to a list of 19 countries—including Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran and Myanmar—facing US travel restrictions under a previous order from Trump in June.
Military Deployment and Political Fallout
In response to Wednesday's shooting, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth announced the deployment of 500 additional troops to Washington, bringing the total to 2,500. Trump has deployed military personnel to several cities all governed by Democratic leadership, including Washington, Los Angeles and Memphis.
This military deployment has prompted multiple lawsuits and allegations of authoritarian overreach by the White House, adding another layer of controversy to an administration already defined by its mass deportation campaign.
The shooting has brought together three politically explosive issues: Trump's controversial use of the military within US borders, immigration policy, and the complicated legacy of the US war in Afghanistan. As the investigation continues, officials admit they still have no clear understanding of the motive behind the deadly attack that has now triggered significant policy changes affecting millions of potential immigrants.
