Former U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to halt migration from what he described as “third world countries,” following a tragic shooting incident involving an Afghan national in Washington, D.C., that left a National Guard soldier dead.
The announcement came after the death of 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, a West Virginia National Guard member deployed to the capital as part of Trump’s crime-control efforts. She reportedly died from injuries sustained in what officials called an “ambush-style” attack. Another soldier, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition.
The FBI has launched an international terror investigation into the alleged gunman, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who had previously worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan. According to officials, he travelled from the state of Washington to the capital before opening fire on a patrol team just a few blocks from the White House.
The attack has intensified political debate in the U.S., touching on immigration, national security, and Trump's decision to deploy National Guard troops in several Democrat-run cities.
Reacting on social media, Trump said the U.S. would “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries” to give the system room to “recover.” He also threatened to reverse “millions” of immigration admissions approved under former President Joe Biden and vowed to remove anyone he deemed “not a net asset” to the country.
Joseph Edlow, head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said all Green Cards issued to migrants from “countries of concern” would be reviewed. This list includes nations such as Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Cuba and Myanmar.
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Officials added that Lakanwal had been granted asylum in April 2025 under the current Trump administration. AfghanEvac, a group supporting Afghan resettlement, stressed that Afghans brought to the U.S. undergo strict security checks and warned against generalizing the actions of one individual.
Meanwhile, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the deployment of 500 additional troops to Washington, bringing the total number of National Guard personnel in the capital to 2,500.
Authorities say the motive behind the attack remains unclear, but charges against the suspect will be upgraded to first-degree murder if the second injured soldier does not survive.
