President Donald J. Trump announced Thursday that he will \u201cpermanently pause migration from all Third World Countries\u201d after two members of the West Virginia National Guard were shot in Washington, D.C., earlier this week. \u201cI will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover,\u201d he wrote on his social-media platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier on Thursday, the administration revealed plans to re-examine green cards issued to immigrants from 19 countries. The June memo lists these countries \u2014 including Afghanistan, Burma, Cuba, Somalia, Venezuela and others \u2014 as of concern. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sharper policy response comes after the suspect in this week\u2019s attack was identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national. He entered the U.S. in 2021 under the humanitarian resettlement program launched following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Wednesday afternoon near the White House, Lakanwal allegedly ambushed two West Virginia National Guard members. The victims, 20-year-old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, were shot during what prosecutors are calling a \u201cbrazen, targeted attack.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beckstrom died from her injuries late Thanksgiving Day, President Trump said. Wolfe remains in critical condition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to prosecutors, Lakanwal drove cross-country from Washington state for the sole purpose of carrying out the ambush. He allegedly fired 10\u201315 rounds from a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver, striking one Guardsman, then leaning over to shoot a second time, and then firing on the other. Authorities said the remaining National Guard member then returned fire, and Lakanwal was apprehended. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This horrific attack unfolded while hundreds of National Guard troops remain deployed across D.C., under Mr. Trump\u2019s 2025 strategy to restore public safety in the capital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In response to the ambush, President Trump not only called for a complete halt to migration from unspecified \u201cThird World Countries,\u201d but late Thursday the administration also announced an indefinite pause on Afghan immigration. Officials said they would conduct a sweeping review of green card approvals tied to the 19 countries flagged in June. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his statement, Trump did not list which additional countries would be subject to the pause \u2014 though the 19-country list already includes several nations the administration deemed high risk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Supporters of the president\u2019s crackdown argue that the D.C. ambush underscores the danger of lax vetting under previous administrations. The suspect in this case reportedly worked in a CIA-backed unit during the U.S. war in Afghanistan, then obtained resettlement under a program from the prior administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n