Trump vows to “pause migration” after fatal shooting of National Guard member

Lexington, Ky — (AP) — President Donald Trump vowed on Thanksgiving to “permanently pause migration” from what he called “Third World countries,” escalating his anti-immigration rhetoric a day after two National Guard members were shot in Washington, D.C. under his deployment order.

One of the soldiers, Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died Thursday. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who previously worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan War, was in the U.S. under a resettlement program for Afghans who assisted American troops. He faces multiple charges.

In an extended late-night post on Truth Social, Trump called for “reverse migration,” pledged to deport foreign nationals he deemed “non-compatible with Western Civilization,” and said he would terminate admissions made under President Joe Biden. He also claimed, without evidence, that most foreign-born residents are on welfare or involved in crime.

Experts say crime rates among immigrants contradict Trump’s assertions. Research published in the Annual Review of Criminology last year found no link between higher immigrant populations and crime, and a 2023 economic study shows immigrants are significantly less likely than U.S.-born residents to be incarcerated — a trend consistent over 150 years.

Trump’s remarks come as federal officials move to tighten screening of migrants from 19 “high-risk” countries, following the administration’s earlier travel restrictions on citizens of 12 nations and limitations on seven more.

The shooting of Beckstrom and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24 — who remains in critical condition — appeared to trigger Trump’s latest escalation, though he did not directly reference the attack in his social media post.

Asked Thursday whether he blames all Afghans for the shooting, Trump said, “No, but we’ve had a lot of problems with Afghans.”