Federal immigration policy has changed quickly in the wake of the shooting of two US National Guard service members near the White House this week.
The Trump administration has announced a sweeping overhaul of various aspects of the immigration system after the Wednesday, November 26, shooting which claimed the life of Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and left US Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, fighting for his life in hospital.
The alleged gunman, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was taken into custody after another guardsman shot him during the incident in Washington DC, with the charges against him increasing to first-degree murder after the death of Beckstrom on Thursday, November 27.
Lakanwal had been admitted to the country in 2021 under a settlement scheme for locals who had worked alongside US forces. It has emerged since his arrest that the 29-year-old was part of an elite CIA counterterrorism unit, which NPR reports was ‘used to carry out extremely violent clandestine missions.’
Rahmanullah Lakanwal was named as the suspect in the attack (FBI)
With so many rapid developments over the Thanksgiving holiday season as the White House responds to the shocking shooting in the nation’s capital, we have gathered together all of the major changes announced over the past three days, affecting millions of people.
Hundreds of troops flood DC
In the hours after news of the fatal Washington DC shooting broke, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced a huge escalation in the occupation of the capital with National Guard troops
âPresident Trump has asked me, and I will ask the secretary of the Army to the National Guard, to add 500 additional troops, National Guardsman, to Washington, DC,â Hegseth said.
Sarah Beckstrom died from her injuries (Department of Justice)
This has increased the numbers of troops in the capital by around a quarter, with 2,500 guardsmen now making their presence known and patrolling the streets alongside local law enforcement.
This additional deployment marks a step change in the way that the National Guard is being used in DC, where previously many troops were being used for high visibility deployments in high crime areas, allowing local cops to focus on solving crimes rather than maintaining order.
âWe will never back down. We will secure our capital. We will secure our cities,â Hegseth added. âIf criminals want to conduct things like this – violence against Americaâs best – we will never back down.â
All asylum claims halted
The first massive immigration overhaul announced by President Trump in the wake of the fatal National Guard shooting was a total pause in the processing of all asylum claims made by Afghan nationals.
There are currently over 200,000 Afghans living in the US, making up just 0.4 percent of the total immigrant population of 46 million. Many of this number came over in the wake of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Andrew Wolfe is fighting for his life in hospital (Department of Justice)
Suspected shooter Lakanwal came over to the US that same year, eventually applying for asylum in 2024. This was granted after the former CIA contractor had gone through a vetting process.
The US Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced Thursday that it would be suspending all Afghan asylum and immigration claims ‘effective immediately’, which would remain in place indefinitely ‘pending further review of security and vetting protocols.’
On Friday, USCIS announced the suspension of all asylum claims from every country pending a review of current claims. Agency Director Joseph Edlow said this stoppage would be in place ‘until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible’.
Crackdown on ‘third-world countries’
The fatal shooting has seen hundreds of troops storm DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
In a message sent late on Thanksgiving, Trump further explained his plan to crackdown on migration from ‘third-world countries’.
The president said his administration would ‘permanently pause migration from all third world countries’, in a post that began by wishing the nation a ‘happy Thanksgiving’.
In an 11pm social media post, Trump said this crackdown would include ending ‘all federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens’, with the aim to remove any migrant who is not a ‘net asset’ to the US.
Trump did not clarify which nations were being classified as ‘third-world’ for the immigration ban. However, USCIS pointed to a list of 19 countries ‘of concern’ that had been identified for restrictions in June
These include Afghanistan, Haiti, Myanmar, Burundi, Laos, Togo, Venezuela, Sierra Leone, Iran, and Turkmenistan.
Major green card review
As part of this crackdown on immigration and asylum claims, Trump promised on Thursday night to strip migrants of their settled status in a major review of the green card system – potentially ramping up the administration’s efforts to remove people for taking part in protests.
Trump said he would ‘denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquillity, and deport any foreign national who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western civilization’.
Advert
At the direction of the president, USCIS Director Edlow said these steps would involve ‘a full-scale, rigorous re-examination of every green card for every alien from every country of concern’.
This would mean that any naturalized US resident from one of these poorly defined ‘third-world countries’ could have their status stripped from them under the review.
Featured Image Credit: Alex Wroblewski/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Topics: Immigration, US News, Washington
The Trump administration has confirmed it will re-examine green cards issued to people who migrated to the US from 19 countries after the November 26 shooting of two National Guard members.
The head of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Joseph Edlow revealed in a social media post that Donald Trump had asked him to conduct âa full scale, rigorous re-examination of every green card for every alien from every country of concernâ.
The announcement by the USCIS came just one day of Rahmanullah Lakanwal being arrested as a suspect in the killing of 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and serious wounding of Andrew Wolfe, 24, near the White House.
âAt the direction of @POTUS, I have directed a full scale, rigorous re-examination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,â Edlow said in a statement on X.
The directive comes after two National Guard troops were shot (Bloomberg / Contributor/ Getty Stock)
A green card is a document which allows someone permanent residency in the US.
They are usually only revoked by immigration judges in the most serious of circumstances, such as if the holder is found guilty of murder or rape.
It came as Trump vowed on Truth Social on Thursday (November 27) to ‘permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the US system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions’ – without specifying which countries he meant.
He also promised to ‘denaturalise migrants who undermine domestic tranquillity, and deport any foreign national who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western civilisation’.
Which countries will have green cards ‘re-examined’?
In re-evaluating green cards, the USCIS will be using a June proclamation by the White House, that pointed to a number of countries of interest to be looked into.
The proclamation cited foreign policy, national security and immigration issues as the reasons for imposing restrictions on people from these countries.
Trump banned visas for anyone from the following countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
The POTUS also decided to âpartially restrict and limit the entry of nationalsâ from Cuba, Burundi, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Per reports, Lakanwal is of Afghanistan decent, who came to the US in 2021 under a programme that allowed special immigration protection to Afghans after America withdrew its forces from Afghanistan.
Federal prosecutors say the suspect once assisted the CIA, per the BBC, and resettled in the US under the Operation Allies Welcome programme.
The announcement by Edlow didnât mention the attack in his reasoning for restricting the nations.
Trumpâs reaction to the news of the shooting was swift, as he claimed it was the highlighted the âgreatest national security threat facing our nationâ.
Just last week, the agency also announced a review of all refugees admitted under former President Joe Biden.
UNILAD has reached out to the White House for comment.
Featured Image Credit: Win McNamee/Getty
Topics: Donald Trump, Twitter, Politics, Crime, US News
Donald Trump has threatened to ‘permanently pause’ all migration from third world countries to the US.
In a Thanksgiving message via Truth Social, the President lay out his plans to further crack down on migration.
It comes as the suspect of November 26 National Guard shooting in Washington, D.C. was identified as 29-year-old Afghan, Rahmanullah Lakanwal.
Sarah Beckstrom, 20, part of the West Virginia guard, died after being shot, while Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition, Sky News reports.
Lakanwal was taken into custody after being apprehended by law enforcement yesterday. He’s said to have sustained gunshot wounds and was taken to hospital for treatment. The injuries were reportedly non-life threatening.
Two law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that Lakanwal is believed to have come to the US in September 2021 and has been living in Washington state.
The shooting took place near the White House on November 26 (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
A relative of the suspect told NBC News that the 29-year-old had served in the army for 10 years and served alongside US troops. The relative, who allegedly served alongside Lakanwal, said of their time in the military: “We were the ones that were targeted by the Taliban in Afghanistan.”
Which third world countries is Trump banning?
In his Truth Social post, Trump didn’t explicitly detail which third world countries he’d ‘permanently’ be pausing migration on, nor did he state exactly when this freeze would come into place.
As per the Borgen project, the term ‘third world’ first originated during the Cold War and was used to describe nations that did not align with either of the two major power blocs: The US and NATO (first world) or the Soviet Union (second world).
These non-aligned countries were mostly located in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. So the third world definition was political, not economic – meaning it included both wealthy and poor nations. Today, ‘third world country’ is often used to describe economically poor or developing nations, which doesnât actually match the original Cold War definition.
Trump’s previous travel and migration bans
Of course, this isn’t Trump’s first rodeo when it comes to banning people from certain countries from entering the US.
In January 2017, Trump signed Executive Order 13769, dubbed the ‘Muslim travel ban,’ which temporarily barred entry to the US for citizens from seven majority-Muslim countries, including Syria, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Refugee admissions were halted for 120 days, and indefinitely for Syrian refugee resettlement.
Trump has previously enforced two major travel bans (Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)
After court challenges, that order was replaced in March 2017 with Executive Order 13780, which narrowed the restrictions; removing Iraq, exempting valid visa or green-card holders and suspending refugee admissions.
Earlier in 2025, Trump reinstated and expanded a travel ban via Proclamation 10949, effective June 9.
This ban fully restricts entry for citizens from 12 countries – including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, and Haiti – and imposes partial restrictions on seven more.
Unlike the 2017 ban, the 2025 measure is broader in scope and doesnât come with a built-in expiration or refugee-resettlement pause date.
Featured Image Credit: John McDonnell/Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, News, Politics, Social Media, Truth Social, US News, World News, Immigration
Sarah Beckstrom, one of the National Guard members shot in Washington, DC, on Wednesday (November 26), has died.
President Donald Trump confirmed the news in a Thanksgiving call to service members on Thursday (November 27), as he said: âSarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, one of the guardsmen that weâre talking about, highly respected, young, magnificent person, started service in June of 2023 outstanding in every way. Sheâs just passed away.â
Both US Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and US Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe were called to the nationâs capital in August as part of Trumpâs crackdown on crime.
However, on the eve of Thanksgiving, both officers were shot in the line of duty, just blocks away from the White House itself.
After undergoing surgery, Beckstrom, 20, and Wolfe, 24, remained in critical condition with their loved ones and local officials urging members of the public to keep them in their prayers.
National Guard members were shot near the White House on Wednesday (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Sadly, it has now emerged that Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries and passed away with her family by her side.
Her father was next to her on Thanksgiving as he remained with her in her final hours, according to The New York Times.
âIâm holding her hand right now,â Gary Beckstrom told the Times by phone. âShe has a mortal wound. Itâs not going to be a recovery.â
Beckstrom, of Summersville, West Virginia, first began her service on June 26, 2023, and was assigned to the 863rd Military Police Company, 111th Engineer Brigade, West Virginia Army National Guard.
Advert
Andrew Wolfe remains in critical condition (Dept of Justice)
A popular and caring member of the National Guard, Beckstrom had even volunteered to work over the holiday period.
âShe volunteered, as did many of those guardsmen and women, so other people could be home with their families, yet now their families are in hospital rooms with them while they are fighting for their lives,â Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News earlier on Thursday.
It is understood that US Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe remains in critical condition in hospital.
AÂ single suspect, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, remains in police custody.
Featured Image Credit: Dept of Justice
Topics: US News, Crime, Donald Trump
Phoebe Tonks
Everything we know so far about National Guard shooting as suspect named
Two National Guard members were ‘critically injured’ after being shot just blocks away from the White House
Two National Guard members have been shot near the White House in Washington, D.C.
A single suspect has been taken into custody and the area secured, police have confirmed.
The White House was placed into lockdown following the attack, which took place just blocks away from the iconic building today (November 26). However, it is understood that neither US President Donald Trump nor Vice President JD Vance was present at the time.
Shortly after the attack, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform to say the two National Guard members had been ‘critically wounded’, adding that the ‘animal’ that shot them ‘is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price’.
Here’s everything we know about the situation so farâŚ
Two National Guard members were shot (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Who are the victims and what is their condition?
The two National Guards shot in Wednesdayâs attack have yet to be formally identified by authorities, however an update on their condition by the FBI revealed that they were both in âcritical conditionâ.
Initial reports had emerged that both members had sadly been killed, with the West Virginia governor releasing a statement that paid tribute to them and claimed they had been shot dead.
Patrick Morrisey had said: “These brave West Virginians lost their lives in the service of their country.”
However, he was later forced to backtrack on this announcement, citing âconflicting sourcesâ which revealed that the injured victims were still alive, albeit critically injured in hospital.
When and where did the attack take place?
The shooting took place at roughly 2:20 p.m. ET near the entrance to the Farragut West Metro station, close to the busy 17th and I St NW intersection in the capital.
Advert
This places it roughly two to three blocks away from the White House, which was placed on lockdown as a precaution.
A single suspect was ‘severely wounded’ in the attack but detained by authorities (Drew ANGERER / AFP via Getty Images)
What do we know about the suspect?
A 29-year-old Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, whose last known location was in Bellingham, Washington, has since been identified as the suspect in Wednesdayâs shootings, according to multiple news outlets.
He entered the US in 2021, according to reports from CBS News and CNN.
According to eyewitnesses, the suspect is believed to have used a handgun to carry out the attack and allegedly shot a National Guard member in the chest, before shooting them in the head.
Lakanwal then allegedly fired at and struck a second guard, before being taken down and detained by a third National Guard member.
The suspect, who was reportedly shot four times, was taken to hospital for treatment.
Advert
No motive has yet been revealed, with authorities exploring all avenues, including as a possible act of terror.
What has President Donald Trump said in response?
Donald Trump vowed that the culprit will ‘pay a very steep price’ ( Pete Marovich/Getty Images)
President Trump, who is currently away from the White House for the Thanksgiving Holidays in Palm Springs, has spoken out following the shooting, saying in a statement on Truth Social: “The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price. God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement.
“These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”
Featured Image Credit: Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, Crime
