US President Donald Trump has renewed his hardline immigration stance, announcing sweeping proposals to “permanently pause” migration from what he called “third-world countries.”
His remarks come days after two National Guard members were shot at close range in Washington, DC — an attack authorities say was carried out by a 29-year-old Afghan national, resulting in one death and leaving another critically injured.
In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump outlined a series of measures he said would help “restore order” to the US immigration system.
“I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the US system to fully recover,” he wrote, adding that this would help “terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden’s Autopen.”
Trump said his plan would include removing anyone “not a net asset to the United States,” cutting federal benefits for noncitizens, denaturalising individuals deemed to undermine domestic stability, and deporting foreign nationals considered security risks or “non-compatible with Western Civilisation.”
“Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation,” he claimed, before ending his message with: “Happy Thanksgiving to all — except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for. You won’t be here for long!”
The president further said that unchecked immigration was the primary driver of “social dysfunction” in the US.
He argued that the country’s foreign-born population — which he cited as 53 million — included individuals from “failed nations, prisons, mental institutions, gangs, or drug cartels,” and accused the system of placing a massive financial burden on American taxpayers. “A migrant earning $30,000 with a green card will get roughly $50,000 in yearly benefits for their family,” he claimed.
Trump’s statement came shortly after the US Citizenship and Immigration Services issued new guidance allowing officials to weigh country-specific risk factors when considering immigration applications from 19 nations. The updated policy follows the shooting of the two National Guard members on the eve of Thanksgiving.
The fatal incident occurred near the White House, where officials say Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal opened fire on the guardsmen. Trump confirmed on Friday that one of the victims, US Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, had died of her injuries.
“She’s just passed away,” he said. “She’s looking down at us right now.”
Calling the attack “a horrific assault” and “an act of terror,” Trump again blamed what he described as lax immigration policies under former president Joe Biden, asserting that Lakanwal had entered the US in 2021.
He referred to Afghanistan as a “hellhole” and insisted the suspect’s background underscored the need for stricter enforcement.
Federal agencies continue to investigate the shooting, which authorities believe was carried out by Lakanwal acting alone.
