An IMGlobalWealth.com News Report
The Trump administration has intensified its immigration crackdown following a fatal shooting in Washington, DC, involving an Afghan asylum seeker. In a sharply worded Thanksgiving message, President Trump pledged to “permanently pause migration” from what he called “third-world countries,” blaming refugees for contributing to “social dysfunction” in the United States.
The remarks came after officials identified Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who arrived in 2021 under a programme protecting Afghans who assisted US forces, as the suspect in an attack that killed a National Guard member and critically injured another.
Lakanwal, who, according to major outlets including the BBC and CNN, previously served with CIA-linked units, was granted asylum earlier this year, though his green-card application remains pending.
“the (US) administration appears set to use the DC shooting as the catalyst for a sweeping reconfiguration of US immigration policy”
In response, the Department of Homeland Security has suspended all immigration processing for Afghans “indefinitely,” pending fresh vetting protocols. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has also been instructed to re-examine green cards issued to nationals from 19 states listed in a June White House proclamation, including Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Haiti, Cuba and Venezuela. The agency says reviews will now account for “negative, country-specific factors,” such as whether governments can issue secure identity documents.
Which countries are expected to be on the US block list?
Africa
🇧🇮 Burundi
🇹🇩 Chad
🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo
🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea
🇪🇷 Eritrea
🇱🇾 Libya
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone
🇸🇴 Somalia
🇸🇩 Sudan
🇹🇬 Togo
Middle East
🇮🇷 Iran
🇾🇪 Yemen
Asia (non-Middle East)
🇦🇫 Afghanistan
🇲🇲 Burma (Myanmar)
🇱🇦 Laos
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan
Caribbean / Latin America
🇨🇺 Cuba
🇭🇹 Haiti
🇻🇪 Venezuela
Trump’s latest pledges extend far beyond security checks. He has vowed to end federal benefits for non-citizens, revoke “millions” of immigration decisions taken under President Biden, and even denaturalise individuals deemed security risks or “non-compatible with Western civilisation.” Many of these measures would face significant legal tests and clash with international obligations. The UN quickly reminded Washington that signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention must uphold their commitments.
US immigration lawyers accused the administration of “scapegoating” migrants before the attacker’s motive is known. Afghan groups warned that “a single individual’s crime” should not jeopardise thousands of vetted Afghans resettled in the US since 2021.
The political trajectory is clear. Trump has already reinstated travel bans targeting several Muslim-majority states and tightened asylum rules. His latest statements show a desire to broaden scrutiny across all migration pathways, from refugees to green-card holders.
While operational details remain vague, the administration appears set to use the DC shooting as the catalyst for a sweeping reconfiguration of US immigration policy.
