Trump announces “Third World” immigration pause after attack

The recent Trump immigration suspension announcement has made headlines following a tragic event in the nation’s capital. President Donald Trump declared late Thursday night that he intends to halt immigration from developing nations to the United States. In a statement posted to Truth Social, Mr. Trump wrote that the move to “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries” is intended to allow the U.S. system time to fully recover.

This declaration comes immediately in the wake of a shooting incident on Wednesday in downtown Washington, D.C., located just blocks away from the White House.

The attack resulted in the death of one National Guard member and left a second guard member critically wounded. Authorities have identified the suspect detained in the D.C. National Guard shooting as a 29-year-old Afghan national.

According to reports, he was admitted into the U.S. in September 2021 along with thousands of other Afghan refugees, shortly after U.S. troops withdrew from Afghanistan. The president did not clarify when such a move might take effect or how the pause would be implemented, nor did he disclose which countries would fall under such a designation.

Additional immigration measures proposed

Agressive stance on policies it blames for allowing the suspect into the country. The former president’s plans extend beyond the pause on migration from developing countries. He also stated an intention to “terminate” the status of millions of migrants admitted during the administration of former President Joe Biden. Furthermore, he wrote that he would remove individuals who are not considered a “net asset” to the United States.

The proposals include ending federal benefits and subsidies for “noncitizens” and deporting foreign nationals determined to be a security risk or considered “non-compatible with Western Civilization.” CBS News has reached out to the White House for clarification on these points.

Reviewing past admissions

Earlier on Thursday, the administration indicated it would conduct a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination” of green cards held by immigrants from 19 specific countries identified as being “of concern.” These nations include Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, Iran, Somalia, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, and Afghanistan. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed to CBS News, the source of this report, that the White House is currently reviewing all asylum cases approved under the Biden administration.

Before the shooting, a November memo directed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to review cases of refugees admitted under Biden.

A DHS official told CBS News that the Afghan national suspect, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was initially paroled into the U.S. on humanitarian grounds in 2021.

The official noted that his asylum case was granted earlier this year, during Mr. Trump’s presidency. The CIA also disclosed Thursday that Lakanwal had previously worked with the U.S. government, including the CIA, as part of a partner force in Kandahar until the 2021 withdrawal. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated the suspect lived with his family in Bellingham, Washington, before driving across the country to D.C. prior to the attack. Mr. Trump said the suspect is in serious condition after being shot by a National Guard member following the ambush.