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The White House has confirmed that President Donald Trump will initiate an indefinite halt on immigration from all so-called “Third World Countries” in response to an incident near the White House, which he blames on flaws in the Biden administration’s vetting process. Trump did not specify which countries he considers part of this classification or clarify what he means by “permanently pause.” He indicated that current approvals under Biden’s policies would be included in this halt.
On social media platform Truth Social, Trump declared he would “permanently pause” migration from these nations to allow the U.S. immigration system to recover fully. His plans also involve terminating millions of illegal admissions made during Biden’s tenure, including those signed off on by Biden’s auto-signature device, and removing individuals deemed harmful or unproductive to the country.
He further announced he would cancel all federal benefits and subsidies for non-citizens and pursue the denaturalization of migrants who threaten public peace, as well as deport foreign nationals considered security threats, public charges, or incompatible with Western values.
Initially, the White House and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services did not respond to Reuters’ inquiries for comment.
This announcement follows the fatal shooting of a National Guard member outside the White House, an attack allegedly carried out by an Afghan immigrant. Earlier reports indicated that Trump had ordered a broad review of Biden-era asylum cases and green cards issued to citizens of 19 countries. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan who entered the U.S. in 2021 under a resettlement program established by Biden after the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, was granted asylum earlier this year during Trump’s presidency, according to government records seen by Reuters.
Lakanwal arrived in the U.S. through a program launched after the fall of Afghanistan’s government in August 2021, an effort to resettle Afghans fleeing the Taliban’s takeover. Trump had previously claimed that hundreds of thousands of Afghan evacuees entered the U.S. during the chaotic airlift, with little vetting.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services temporarily halted processing all immigration requests related to Afghan nationals. Trump emphasized his goal of significantly reducing illegal and disruptive populations, asserting that only a complete reversal of migration—”REVERSE MIGRATION”—would resolve the current issues.
The incident, involving an immigrant shooting at U.S. military personnel on domestic soil, is expected to have lasting political repercussions. Although Lakanwal had legal entry and asylum status, the event fuels Trump’s ongoing efforts to tighten immigration policies, focusing on both legal and illegal entries, and emphasizes the need for more rigorous screening processes.
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