U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to “permanently pause migration” from developing nations in an aggressive late-night social media tirade that followed the fatal shooting of two National Guard members deployed in Washington, D.C. under his orders.
The attack, which authorities describe as an ambush, left 20-year-old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom of the West Virginia National Guard dead and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe critically injured. The suspect, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, arrived in the U.S. through a resettlement program designed to protect Afghans who worked with American forces during the post-9/11 conflict.
Trump seized on the incident to intensify his long-running attacks on immigration. He claimed migration from poorer countries has undermined U.S. security and economic progress—assertions widely disputed by researchers—and asserted that “reverse migration” was the only solution. His remarks came hours after U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services confirmed it was tightening screening for individuals from 19 high-risk countries, including Afghanistan, following earlier travel bans affecting 19 nations.
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrissey paid tribute to Beckstrom’s service, calling her a soldier of courage and resolve. A makeshift memorial has grown at the scene of the attack as the investigation continues.
Refugee advocates warn the shooting could trigger a broad backlash against Afghan allies and other vulnerable groups who were resettled in the United States at America’s own request. Shawn VanDiver, founder of #AfghanEvac, said Trump’s rhetoric betrays both U.S. veterans and the Afghan partners who served alongside them.
Trump intensified his remarks further by referencing Somali Americans in Minnesota and invoking a slur to attack Democratic Gov. Tim Walz. Asked later whether he blamed all Afghan arrivals for the attack, Trump denied doing so but said the U.S. has had “a lot of problems with Afghans,” offering no evidence.
It remains unclear what legal authority or policy tools the White House would use to impose a sweeping new halt to migration. But the president’s comments underscore a dramatic hardening of stance as his administration moves to broaden restrictions already in place and leans on national security concerns ahead of renewed political battles over immigration.
