U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that his administration will “permanently pause” migration from all so-called “Third World Countries,” a declaration made in the wake of the fatal attack near the White House that claimed the life of a National Guard member. His statement represents a significant escalation of the immigration restrictions he has ordered since Wednesday’s shooting, which investigators believe was carried out by an Afghan national who arrived in the United States in 2021 through a resettlement initiative.

Trump did not specify which nations he was referring to or define what he meant by “Third World Countries” or a “permanent pause.” However, he emphasized that the new measures would apply even to immigration cases approved under former President Joe Biden’s administration.
On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote:
“I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions… and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States.”

‘Non-Compatible With Western Civilization’

Trump added that he intends to end all federal benefits and subsidies for non-citizens and would pursue “denaturalization” for migrants he believes undermine domestic stability. He also vowed to deport any foreign national considered a public charge, a security threat, or “non-compatible with Western civilization.”
Officials from the White House and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment on the president’s statements.

In contrast, U.N. agencies urged Washington to continue providing access to asylum procedures and to ensure that arrivals receive fair and lawful consideration.
Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the U.N. Secretary-General, told Reuters:
“We expect all countries, including the United States, to honor their commitments under the 1953 Refugee Convention.”
Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the U.N. human rights office, added during a Geneva briefing that asylum seekers are entitled to protection under international law and must be afforded due process.

Trump Claims Hundreds of Thousands Were ‘Unvetted’

The president’s remarks follow the death of Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old National Guard member who was killed during the attack. Another Guardsman, Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition and is “fighting for his life,” Trump said.

Earlier on Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Trump had ordered a broad review of asylum cases approved during Biden’s term, as well as of Green Cards issued to nationals from 19 countries.

The suspected gunman, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, had reportedly been granted asylum earlier this year under Trump’s administration, according to a U.S. government file reviewed by Reuters. Lakanwal initially arrived as part of a resettlement program created after the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, a period marked by the rapid collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban’s takeover.

In a separate post, published shortly before his “permanent pause” announcement, Trump claimed that hundreds of thousands of individuals entered the country “unvetted and unchecked” during what he called the “horrendous” airlift from Afghanistan.
On Wednesday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services halted all immigration processing for Afghan nationals indefinitely.

Trump Pushes ‘Reverse Migration’

Trump indicated that his broader objective is to significantly reduce what he calls “illegal and disruptive populations.” He argued that the current situation can only be corrected through what he termed “REVERSE MIGRATION,” suggesting his administration will actively pursue policies designed to decrease both legal and illegal immigration levels.

Although Lakanwal had entered the United States legally, the incident has reinforced Trump’s long-standing argument for stricter vetting procedures. Throughout his presidency, Trump has centered immigration—both legal and illegal—as a key policy area, and this case has allowed him to frame the debate more broadly around national security and systemic oversight.

Trump has also deployed additional immigration officers to major American cities, resulting in historically high deportation levels. Those removed have included long-time residents and individuals with no criminal record. According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement data, more than two-thirds of the approximately 53,000 people detained as of November 15 had no criminal convictions.

Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal and Shivani Tanna in Bengaluru, Jasper Ward in Washington, Emma Farge in Geneva, Bhargav Acharya in Toronto; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Thomas Derpinghaus, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Neil Fullick and Conor Humphries.