United States President Donald Trump has announced a sweeping suspension of immigration from what he called “all Third World countries,” following the naming of an Afghan national as the suspect in a Washington, DC shooting that left two National Guard members injured. The announcement represents one of the administration’s most far-reaching moves on immigration since returning to office.

The new directive comes just one day after the White House ordered a deep review of all green card applications from 19 “countries of concern,” a list created earlier this year. The review and the new restrictions appear to be directly connected to the shooting incident that has renewed political debate around immigration and national security.

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Major Immigration Freeze Announced

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that he intends to “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries” to allow the US immigration system to “recover” and reverse what he called “millions of Biden illegal admissions.”

Trump did not define which nations fall under the “Third World” label, a term historically used for developing or low-income countries in the Global South. However, his remarks coincide with newly reviewed categories of immigrants from previously designated “countries of concern.”

The president also claimed he will:

• Remove individuals he described as “not a net asset” to the US
• End all federal benefits and subsidies for noncitizens
• Denaturalize migrants whom he says “undermine domestic tranquillity”
• Deport foreign nationals considered “public charges” or “security risks”

These statements suggest future policy changes that could dramatically alter existing immigration processes.

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Green Cards From ‘Countries of Concern’ Under Full Review

Hours before Trump’s announcement, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow confirmed that he had ordered a “full-scale, rigorous re-examination” of green card applications filed by individuals from 19 countries previously flagged under a June presidential proclamation.

These countries include Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Myanmar, Venezuela, Yemen, and others cited as raising “heightened security considerations.”

Edlow said the directive came directly from Trump and emphasized the need to protect national security and “relieve the American people of the cost” of what he called the previous administration’s resettlement policies.

USCIS had already suspended processing of Afghan immigration applications earlier this month, pending a review of vetting procedures.

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Shooting Suspect Identified as Afghan National Who Worked With US Forces

The new wave of restrictions follows public confirmation that the suspect in the National Guard shooting is Rahmanaullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national.

Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for Washington, DC, said Lakanwal arrived in the United States under Operation Allies Welcome, a program created to evacuate and resettle Afghans who assisted US operations during the 20-year conflict.

Pirro added that the FBI and other federal agencies are now reviewing both Lakanwal’s immigration history and the screening process used to approve his arrival. The case has intensified political debate over the vetting of US-affiliated Afghan evacuees.

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Refugee Admissions Narrowed Even Further

The Trump administration has already imposed the sharpest limits on refugee admissions in modern US history. In October, the White House announced that the US will admit no more than 7,500 refugees in 2026, the lowest cap since the refugee program was created in 1980.

According to documents obtained by the Associated Press, the government is also conducting a broad review of the estimated 200,000 refugees admitted during President Joe Biden’s term, with green card applications for those individuals now suspended pending further evaluation.

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Growing Political Impact

The latest policy shift has sparked immediate debate among lawmakers, advocates, and international partners. Supporters argue the measures strengthen national security, while critics say the new restrictions unfairly target vulnerable populations and risk violating international humanitarian commitments.

With the immigration review expanding and new suspensions announced, the administration is poised to make further changes in the coming weeks.