WASHINGTON D.C. — Following a fatal attack on a National Guard member near the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that his administration will implement a “permanently pause” on migration from all nations he labels as “Third World Countries.”

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The announcement comes just after the death of National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, who was shot in an ambush near the White House on Wednesday. The suspected attacker has been identified by officials as an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in 2021.

Focus on Immigration Security

 

In a statement posted on his social media platform, President Trump blamed the incident on immigration screening failures from the previous administration. He did not name specific countries or provide a clear legal definition for “Third World Countries,” but he outlined a severe crackdown.

Key Points of the Proposed Plan:

• Permanent Migration Pause: A freeze on migration from all “Third World Countries” to “allow the U.S. system to fully recover.”

• Review of Prior Cases: Termination of “millions of Biden illegal admissions” and a widespread review of asylum cases approved under the previous administration, as well as Green Cards issued to citizens of 19 countries.

• Deportations and Denaturalization: The plan includes deporting any foreign national deemed a security risk or “non-compatible with Western civilization.” Trump also vowed to “denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility.”

“We have no greater national security priority than ensuring that we have full control over the people that enter and remain in our country,” President Trump stated.

Impact and International Response

 

This push represents a major escalation of the President’s long-standing policy to restrict both legal and illegal immigration. The move has quickly drawn international attention and criticism.

United Nations agencies on Friday called on Washington to uphold international law, stressing that asylum seekers are entitled to due process. UN officials emphasized that the vast majority of refugees are law-abiding members of their host communities.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials confirmed that the administration has begun ordering widespread reviews of immigration policies. The suspect in the D.C. shooting was reportedly granted asylum earlier this year.

Quick Facts on the D.C. Attack

 

• Victim: National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from her injuries. A second Guardsman remains in critical condition.

• Suspect: Identified as a 29-year-old Afghan national.

• Investigation: The FBI has launched a terrorism probe into the ambush.

The incident is now a political flashpoint, giving the administration an opportunity to argue that even legal immigration pathways require stricter security measures.

The 19 countries whose Green Cards are subject to a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination” by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are the same nations included in a Presidential Proclamation imposing full or partial entry suspensions, issued earlier in the year.

The list of these 19 countries is:

Countries Affected by Green Card Review

 

• Afghanistan

• Burma (Myanmar)

• Burundi

• Chad

• Cuba

• Equatorial Guinea

• Eritrea

• Haiti

• Iran

• Laos

• Libya

• Republic of the Congo

• Sierra Leone

• Somalia

• Sudan

• Togo

• Turkmenistan

• Venezuela

• Yemen

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Note: USCIS officials stated that the new guidance allows officers to consider an applicant’s country of origin as a significant “adverse factor” when evaluating immigration benefits and that the review applies to all permanent residents from these countries, regardless of when their Green Cards were approved.