United States President Donald Trump announced a sweeping suspension of immigration from what he described as “all Third World countries,” following the identification of an Afghan national as a suspect in a shooting involving National Guard members in Washington, D.C. The move signals a major escalation in the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

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Background: National Guard Shooting Sparks Immigration Crackdown

The announcement comes just one day after the Washington, D.C. shooting in which two National Guard soldiers were injured. Authorities identified the suspect as Rahmanaullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who previously worked alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Lakanwal arrived in the United States through Operation Allies Welcome, a program created after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 to resettle Afghan allies.

In response, President Trump stated via his Truth Social platform that he intends to “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover” and to terminate what he described as “millions of Biden illegal admissions.”

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Green Card Review and Immigration Policy Changes

The President’s directive extends to green card applications, ordering a review of all applications from citizens of “countries of concern.” According to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow, this review is a “full-scale, rigorous re-examination of every green card for every alien from every country of concern.”

Edlow emphasized the administration’s priority: “The protection of this country and of the American people remains paramount, and the American people will not bear the cost of the prior administration’s reckless resettlement policies.”

The 19 countries of concern, based on a previous presidential proclamation, include:

• Afghanistan
• Haiti
• Iran
• Myanmar
• Venezuela
• Yemen

Applications from these countries, along with all Afghan immigration requests, have been indefinitely suspended pending a security review.

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Trump’s Broader Immigration Stance

President Trump’s announcement also includes plans to:

• Remove any foreign national who is “not a net asset” to the U.S.
• End federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens
• Denaturalize immigrants who “undermine domestic tranquility”
• Deport anyone considered a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western civilization

These measures represent one of the most aggressive shifts in U.S. immigration policy in decades, reflecting a continued emphasis on national security and vetting.

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Implications for Refugees and Recent Arrivals

The administration is simultaneously reviewing approximately 200,000 refugees admitted under President Biden’s administration. Green card applications from these refugees have been temporarily suspended as part of this evaluation.

Previously, the Trump administration set the 2026 refugee admissions limit at 7,500, the lowest since 1980, further signaling a strict immigration stance. Federal authorities, including the FBI, are examining the vetting and security protocols for recent arrivals to ensure compliance with national security standards.

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What Experts Are Saying

Immigration analysts warn that these measures could have wide-reaching implications for U.S. immigration policy, humanitarian programs, and international relations. Critics argue that terms like “Third World countries” are vague and could affect millions of legal immigrants, while supporters maintain that national security concerns justify stricter vetting processes.

This latest policy update underscores the Trump administration’s continued focus on restricting immigration from high-risk regions and reinforcing domestic security priorities.