US President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled a sweeping set of proposals that could dramatically reshape US immigration policy, declaring on Truth Social that he would “permanently pause” migration from “all third world countries” and pursue “reverse migration” to remove certain immigrants already in the country.
Trump did not specify which nations would be targeted, but his statements suggest broad restrictions affecting large portions of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. He argued that “unchecked migration” had strained American resources and that the US needed time “to fully recover” before admitting new arrivals.
The announcement came a day after the government halted all immigration processing for Afghan nationals, following the shooting of two National Guard soldiers near the White House. One of the soldiers, Sarah Beckstrom, later died of her injuries. Trump linked the attack to wider immigration failures, claiming the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, had entered the US under Biden-era policies.
In a series of posts, Trump said he would denaturalise migrants who “undermine domestic tranquillity,” deport any foreign national deemed a public charge or security risk, and end all federal benefits for non-citizens. He said “only reverse migration” would restore law and order.
The president also vowed to cancel “millions” of admissions made under former president Joe Biden, including those he claimed were approved via “sleepy Joe’s autopen.”
Those who are “not a net asset” to the country or “incapable of loving our country” would be removed, he said. Alongside his statements, Trump shared an image of Afghans being airlifted in 2021, calling the evacuation “horrendous” and accusing Biden of allowing “hundreds of thousands” of unvetted individuals into the US.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow later announced a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination” of all Green Cards issued to immigrants from 19 countries named in a June presidential proclamation — including Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, and Venezuela, but excluding Pakistan.
Millions of long-term residents from these nations could face new scrutiny. The CIA confirmed that the shooting suspect had previously worked with US forces in Kandahar and was admitted under partner-force relocation efforts after the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Pentagon has since deployed an additional 500 National Guard personnel in Washington, bringing the total to 2,700.
The halt on Afghan immigration processing leaves around 200,000 applicants in limbo. Trump further claimed that the previous administration had admitted “20 million unknown and unvetted foreigners,” calling immigration “the single greatest national security threat.”
