President Donald Trump has declared his intention to implement a comprehensive suspension of migration from all third world countries to the United States. The announcement came through his Truth Social platform, where the president asserted that this drastic measure would enable the American system to “fully recover” from what he characterized as damaging immigration policies that have undermined the economic gains and living standards of U.S. citizens.
The president’s statement, lacking specific details regarding implementation or a definitive list of affected nations, broadly blamed refugee populations for contributing to what he termed “social dysfunction in America.” Trump further vowed to remove “anyone who is not a net asset” to the country, signaling a hardened approach to immigration enforcement.
This policy revelation follows closely on the heels of a tragic incident in Washington DC, where an Afghan national stands accused of shooting two members of the National Guard, resulting in one fatality. Trump previously cited this event as evidence of significant national security vulnerabilities, promising decisive action against foreigners “who do not belong here.”
In response to the shooting, the administration has already taken preliminary steps. On Wednesday, U.S. authorities suspended processing all immigration requests from Afghan nationals pending a comprehensive review of security and vetting procedures. The following day, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it would re-examine green cards previously issued to immigrants from 19 specific countries.
While official sources did not immediately provide the complete list, reference was made to a June White House proclamation that included Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, and Venezuela among affected nations. The mechanism and scope of this green card re-examination remain unspecified.
The administration’s most recent escalation came Thursday evening with Trump’s pledge to “end all federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens.” This rapid sequence of policy announcements appears directly connected to reports that the suspect in the DC shooting entered the U.S. in 2021 through a special immigration program established for Afghans following the American withdrawal from Afghanistan.
According to officials and corroborated by a former military commander who worked with him, the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwa, had previously collaborated with CIA operations in Afghanistan and provided security for U.S. forces during evacuation operations at Kabul airport.