Trump Signals Sweeping Immigration Crackdown Following D.C. Shooting
In an abrupt move that caught officials off guard, former President Donald Trump announced plans to “permanently suspend migration from all Third World countries” and expel foreign nationals deemed “unable to love” the United States. The announcement, made via Truth Social on Nov. 27, came without a press briefing or prior notice, leaving aides and federal agencies scrambling to interpret the new directives.
Sources familiar with internal discussions said national security briefings in the days prior hinted at a significant shift, prompting what officials describe as a more aggressive stance than previously signaled publicly. The announcement’s timing, coming just after a shooting in Washington, D.C., has heightened scrutiny from both political and intelligence communities.
Trump framed the move as necessary to restore the nation’s strength. In his post, he argued that while the U.S. remains technologically advanced, immigration policies have undermined progress and diminished Americans’ quality of life. To address these issues, he outlined a series of measures:
Halt all immigration from what he described as “third world countries.”
End federal benefits and subsidies for noncitizens.
Revoke citizenship from immigrants who disrupt domestic stability.
Deport foreign nationals considered “a public charge, security threat, or incompatible with Western civilization.”
Remove individuals deemed “not a net benefit” or “incapable of loving” the United States.
“These objectives will be carried out to ensure a substantial decrease in illegal and destabilizing populations, including those granted entry through an unauthorized autopen approval system,” he wrote, emphasizing that “reverse migration” is the only solution to the crisis.
The announcement followed the Nov. 26 shooting in Washington, D.C., in which two National Guard members from West Virginia were critically wounded. One, Sarah Beckstrom, died from her injuries on Nov. 27. Authorities identified the suspect as 29-year-old Afghan citizen Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who arrived in the U.S. in September 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era program for Afghan evacuees.
Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed Lakanwal’s arrival through the program, while CIA Director John Ratcliffe noted that he had previously worked with U.S. intelligence units in Afghanistan. In response to the attack, Trump demanded that all Afghans admitted under Biden-era programs be re-screened, saying, “If they cannot love our country, they should not be here.”
Following the shooting, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services temporarily suspended immigration processing for Afghan nationals to review security and vetting procedures.
Earlier, in October, the Trump administration had reduced the refugee admissions ceiling for fiscal year 2026 to 7,500, prioritizing Afrikaners and other groups facing persecution abroad. This represented a sharp reduction from the 125,000-person cap set under the Biden administration for fiscal year 2025.
Conclusion
Trump’s new immigration agenda represents a dramatic shift in U.S. policy, linking national security concerns to broad restrictions on migration.
As investigations continue into the Washington shooting and Afghan vetting procedures face intense review, these policies could significantly reshape the country’s refugee and immigration framework in the coming months.