WASHINGTON — In the aftermath of a deadly shooting that claimed the life of a National Guard member patrolling the nation's capital, President Donald Trump issued a fiery social media declaration vowing to "permanently pause migration" from poorer nations, intensifying his long-standing push against immigration from developing countries.
The attack occurred on Wednesday when a 29-year-old Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, allegedly ambushed two National Guard soldiers deployed to Washington, D.C., under Trump's orders. Lakanwal, who had worked with the CIA during the U.S. war in Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks and later emigrated through a resettlement program for Afghan allies after the American withdrawal, drove across the country to carry out what officials described as a targeted assault. The incident left 20-year-old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom of the West Virginia National Guard dead and her fellow soldier, 24-year-old Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, in critical condition with unspecified injuries. Lakanwal himself was shot during the confrontation and sustained non-life-threatening wounds; he is now in custody facing initial charges that authorities say will likely be upgraded in light of Beckstrom's death.
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrissey eulogized Beckstrom in a statement released Thursday, praising her service. "Sarah served with courage, extraordinary resolve, and an unwavering sense of duty to her state and to her nation," Morrissey said. "She answered the call to serve, stepped forward willingly, and carried out her mission with the strength and character that define the very best of the West Virginia National Guard." The governor's words underscored the personal toll of the violence, as Beckstrom's deployment was part of a broader security operation in the capital amid ongoing national tensions.
Trump's response came late Wednesday in a lengthy social media post that began with Thanksgiving greetings to "all of our Great American Citizens and Patriots." From there, the president pivoted to a broadside against immigration policies, claiming that despite technological progress in the U.S., such policies had "eroded those gains and living conditions for many." He listed disputed assertions about migration's impact on employment and crime rates before concluding that "Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation." The term "reverse migration," which Trump has invoked before, suggests not just halting inflows but encouraging outflows of immigrants already in the country.
In the post, Trump referenced a case of alleged COVID-19 fraud involving a Somali-American group in Minnesota, using it to criticize immigration from that region. He also employed a slur for people with intellectual disabilities to describe Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, escalating the rhetoric. Earlier that day, during a meeting with reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump was asked if he blamed the D.C. shootings on all Afghans who had come to the U.S. "No, but we've had a lot of problems with Afghans," he replied, declining to elaborate further.
The president's comments arrived amid heightened scrutiny of immigration vetting processes. Hours before Trump's post, Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, announced that the agency would implement additional screening measures for individuals from 19 "high-risk" countries "to the maximum degree possible." Edlow did not specify the countries, but in June, the administration had imposed a travel ban on citizens from 12 nations and restrictions on seven others, including Afghanistan, citing national security concerns.
Refugee advocacy groups expressed alarm over the potential for backlash against immigrant communities. Matthew Soerens, vice president of World Relief, a Christian humanitarian organization that assists with refugee resettlement, told The Associated Press, "Regardless of the alleged perpetrator’s nationality, religion or specific legal status … we urge our country to recognize these evil actions as those of one person, not to unfairly judge others who happen to share those same characteristics." Similarly, Ashraf Haidari, founder and president of Displaced International, which supports displaced people globally, emphasized to the AP, "even as we pursue accountability, one individual’s alleged actions cannot be allowed to define, burden, or endanger entire communities who had no part in this tragedy."
"They are entitled to protection under international law and should be given due process," said Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the United Nations human rights office, in response to Trump's remarks during a media briefing in Geneva on Friday. UN agencies have appealed to Washington to maintain access for asylum seekers, highlighting the international obligations at stake.
Trump's rhetoric fits into a pattern of aggressive immigration enforcement that has defined his second term. Since taking office again, the administration has conducted widespread raids and deportations, targeting those with criminal records and accusations of violence. However, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations have occasionally ensnared law-abiding residents and even U.S. citizens, drawing criticism from federal judges who have accused the government of denying due process. In some instances, individuals without U.S. criminal convictions have been deported directly to facilities like a notorious prison in El Salvador.
In August, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson urged recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) — undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children — to "self-deport," reviving a controversial term from past immigration debates and asserting that they lack any legal status. The administration has also sought to end birthright citizenship, a constitutional guarantee, though courts have blocked these efforts so far; the issue could yet reach the Supreme Court.
During his campaign for a second term, which marked a stunning political resurgence, Trump repeatedly described migrants as "poisoning the blood of our country." He and fellow Republicans have lambasted what they call lax border policies under former President Joe Biden, pointing to a surge in border encounters from 2021 to mid-2024. Think tanks like the libertarian Cato Institute, however, paint a more nuanced picture, noting complexities such as the Biden administration's encouragement of asylum claims from abroad and the development — and later discontinuation — of a migrant app for processing entries.
The Biden era also saw delays in ending Title 42, a public health measure from the pandemic that inadvertently prompted repeat border crossings; its termination was pushed back to mid-2023 after challenges from more than 20 Republican-led states. Under Trump's first term, immigration actions were equally contentious: A travel ban on citizens from several Muslim-majority countries, announced in his first week, caused chaos at airports and faced successful legal challenges until revisions were made.
That administration also implemented a policy of family separations at the southern border, detaching migrant children from parents and failing to track hundreds of them adequately — a lapse later attributed to incompatible computer systems among federal agencies. In 2019, Trump targeted four Democratic congresswomen, including naturalized citizen Ilhan Omar, telling them to "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came," despite three being U.S.-born.
It remains unclear what specific mechanisms the White House might use to enact Trump's vow of a permanent pause on migration from developing nations. Officials have not detailed timelines or legislative paths, though the administration's history suggests reliance on executive actions, which often invite court battles. As the holiday season unfolds, the D.C. incident and Trump's response have reignited national debates over security, immigration, and the treatment of those who aided U.S. efforts abroad.
The shooting's ripple effects extend beyond policy, touching communities like the Afghan diaspora that resettled after the 2021 withdrawal. With Wolfe still fighting for his life and investigations ongoing, authorities are piecing together Lakanwal's motives, which remain unconfirmed. For now, the tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the intersections between foreign policy legacies and domestic security, as the U.S. grapples with how to balance protection and humanity in its borders.