Trump Announces Plan to Halt Immigration From “All Third World Countries” After DC Shooting

United States President Donald Trump has announced that he intends to halt immigration from what he called “all Third World countries,” a declaration made just one day after authorities identified an Afghan national as the suspect in the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC.

This latest announcement expands on a growing series of hard-line immigration policies. Earlier, Trump directed federal agencies to re-evaluate all green card applications submitted by citizens of 19 nations categorized as “countries of concern” following the DC attack.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the U.S. would immediately suspend immigration from developing nations, though he did not specify which countries fall under the “Third World” label, a term commonly used to describe many nations in the Global South.

He further stated that his administration would remove individuals who are “not a net asset to the United States” or who do not “love our Country.” Trump added that federal assistance and benefits would no longer be available to non-citizens.

He also promised measures to strip citizenship from migrants he believes “undermine domestic tranquillity” and to deport any foreign national considered a public burden, a security threat, or “non-compatible with Western civilization.”

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow confirmed that he had ordered an extensive review of all green card applications submitted by individuals from the 19 listed countries, acting on Trump’s directive.

Edlow emphasized that safeguarding the U.S. remains the administration’s top priority, arguing that previous policies put Americans at risk.

He did not list the specific nations under review but referred reporters to a June 4 presidential proclamation restricting entry from countries including Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Myanmar, Venezuela, and Yemen.

Additionally, USCIS recently announced that all Afghan immigration cases have been paused indefinitely while officials reassess security screening procedures.

The immigration clampdown follows the identification of 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanaullah Lakanwal as the suspect in the shooting in Washington, DC.

According to Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District, Lakanwal entered the country through “Operation Allies Welcome,” a program established to assist Afghans who worked with U.S. forces after the 2021 withdrawal. Federal agencies, including the FBI, are now reviewing his immigration history and vetting process.

These developments add to a broader effort by the Trump administration to limit immigration. In October, it reduced the refugee admissions ceiling for 2026 to just 7,500—the lowest level in more than four decades.

A leaked memo obtained by the Associated Press revealed that the government is also conducting a sweeping reassessment of about 200,000 refugees admitted under former President Joe Biden. The memo also freezes green card processing for refugees who arrived during that period.