Nov 27 (Reuters) — U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday that his administration will “permanently pause” migration from what he called “Third World Countries,” following the fatal shooting of a National Guard member near the White House.
The declaration marks a sharp escalation in migration policy since Wednesday’s attack, which investigators say was carried out by an Afghan national who entered the United States in 2021 through a resettlement program created after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Trump did not specify which nations would be affected or define what “permanently pause” would entail. He added that the policy would cover cases previously approved under former President Joe Biden’s administration.
“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,” Trump posted on his platform, Truth Social.
Redefining National Security and Belonging
In his remarks, Trump vowed to end federal benefits for non-citizens and to deport anyone deemed a public-safety risk or, in his words, “non-compatible with Western civilization.” He also suggested denaturalizing migrants “who undermine domestic tranquility.”
Neither the White House nor U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services responded to requests for comment.
United Nations officials urged Washington to uphold its international commitments.
“We expect all countries, including the United States, to honor their obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention,” said Farhan Haq, spokesperson for the U.N. secretary general.
“Asylum seekers are entitled to due process under international law,” added Jeremy Laurence of the U.N. Human Rights Office.
A Tragedy and Its Ripple Effects
The president’s comments followed the death of National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, who was killed in Wednesday’s ambush. Fellow Guardsman Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains hospitalized.
According to Homeland Security officials, Trump ordered an immediate review of asylum cases approved under the previous administration and a reassessment of Green Cards issued to citizens of 19 countries.
The alleged gunman, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, entered the U.S. in 2021 as part of the Biden-era Afghan evacuation program and was later granted asylum under Trump’s administration, government documents show.
Before announcing the pause, Trump claimed that “hundreds of thousands” of evacuees arrived “unvetted and unchecked” during the airlift from Kabul — a claim that immigration experts have disputed, noting that most were processed through extensive screening.
USCIS confirmed Wednesday that it has temporarily halted processing of immigration requests connected to Afghan nationals pending further review.
The New Phase: ‘Reverse Migration’
Trump said his broader goal was to reduce “illegal and disruptive populations,” a phrase critics say could encompass even legally present immigrants.
“Only reverse migration can fully cure this situation,” he declared.
While Lakanwal’s case involved a legally admitted migrant, the attack has become a rallying point for the administration’s efforts to expand vetting and limit resettlement.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement data show that as of mid-November, more than two-thirds of the 53,000 people detained by ICE had no criminal record — a statistic fueling debate about proportional enforcement versus collective punishment.
Beyond Policy: The Test of Principle
Behind the headlines lies a deeper question about the kind of security America seeks. The tension between vigilance and justice — between protecting borders and protecting the moral fabric that defines a nation — is once again at the center of U.S. politics.
True security, as some observers note, cannot come only from restriction. It requires trust that the nation’s power will be exercised with wisdom — that even in grief and anger, law remains tempered by conscience.
In moments like these, the strength of a country is measured not just by how it reacts to threat, but by how faithfully it guards its own humanity.
