U.S. President Donald Trump announced he will suspend migration from what he described as “third-world countries,” a day after an Afghan national allegedly shot two National Guard soldiers in Washington, killing one.
Trump’s social media post also threatened to reverse “millions” of immigration admissions granted under his predecessor, Joe Biden, marking a new escalation in his anti-migration stance during a second term characterized by aggressive deportation policies.
The shooting occurred on Wednesday, targeting 20-year-old West Virginia National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, who died from her injuries. Another soldier, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition.
The FBI has launched an international terrorism investigation into the 29-year-old suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who reportedly had ties to the “Zero Units,” a CIA-backed counterterrorism force.
Officials described the attack as “brazen and targeted.” Lakanwal, who had been living in Washington state, drove across the country to the nation’s capital and opened fire with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver on a group of guardsmen just blocks from the White House.
He has been charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill; authorities indicated the charges could be upgraded to first-degree murder if Wolfe dies. The motive remains unclear.
In a Thanksgiving video call with troops, Trump linked the shooting to his decision to deploy hundreds of National Guard members to Washington. “If they weren’t effective, you probably wouldn’t have had this done,” he said, adding that the suspect may have been frustrated by being unable to commit a crime.
Trump’s director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, announced a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination” of all Green Cards for “aliens from every country of concern,” citing a list of 19 nations, including Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, and Myanmar, previously restricted under a Trump-era order. The administration has also halted the processing of immigration applications from Afghanistan.
The suspected shooter, part of a CIA-backed “partner force” in Afghanistan, had been evacuated to the US following the US withdrawal and granted asylum under Trump in April 2025.
AfghanEvac, a group assisting Afghan resettlement, said Lakanwal had undergone extensive security vetting and cautioned against using his actions to stigmatize the broader community.
In response to the attack, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said 500 additional troops would be deployed to Washington, raising the total to 2,500.
Trump has also sent National Guard units to other major Democratic-run cities, including Los Angeles and Memphis—a move that has drawn lawsuits and accusations of authoritarian overreach.
About the Author
