Recent changes in federal immigration policy were prompted by the shooting of two US National Guard members near the White House this week.
The Trump administration has introduced a substantial modification to various aspects of the immigration system following the incident on Wednesday, November 26. The shooting resulted in the death of Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and left US Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, critically injured in a hospital.
The suspect, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was apprehended after being shot by another guardsman during the event in Washington DC. The charges against him escalated to first-degree murder following Beckstrom’s death on Thursday, November 27.
Lakanwal had entered the United States in 2021 under a settlement program for locals who had collaborated with US forces. Following his arrest, it was revealed that he was part of an elite CIA counterterrorism unit, reportedly used for executing highly secretive and violent missions, as reported by NPR.
Amidst the rapid developments over the Thanksgiving holiday as the White House responds to the shocking event in the nation’s capital, we’ve compiled the significant changes announced in the past three days, affecting millions.
In the immediate aftermath of the Washington DC shooting, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced a major increase in the presence of National Guard troops in the capital.
“President 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,” Hegseth stated.
The deployment has increased troop numbers in the capital by approximately 25%, with 2,500 guardsmen now actively patrolling the streets alongside local law enforcement.
This additional deployment signifies a change in how the National Guard is utilized in DC. Previously, many troops were engaged in high visibility deployments in high-crime areas, allowing local police to concentrate on solving crimes rather than maintaining order.
“We will never back down. We will secure our capital. We will secure our cities,” Hegseth emphasized. “If criminals want to conduct things like this – violence against America’s best – we will never back down.”
Following the shooting, President Trump announced a comprehensive immigration overhaul, starting with a complete pause on processing asylum claims from Afghan nationals.
There are currently over 200,000 Afghans residing in the US, making up just 0.4% of the total immigrant population of 46 million. Many arrived following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
The accused shooter, Lakanwal, arrived in the US that same year and applied for asylum in 2024. His asylum was granted after undergoing a vetting process as a former CIA contractor.
The US Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Thursday that all Afghan asylum and immigration claims would be suspended ‘effective immediately,’ remaining in place indefinitely ‘pending further review of security and vetting protocols.’
On Friday, USCIS extended the suspension to all asylum claims globally pending a review of the current process. Agency Director Joseph Edlow stated that this pause would continue ‘until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.’
Late on Thanksgiving, Trump detailed his plan to limit migration from ‘third-world countries.’
The president declared that his administration would ‘permanently pause migration from all third world countries’, beginning with a message wishing the nation a ‘happy Thanksgiving’.
In a late-night social media post, Trump indicated that this initiative would include ending ‘all federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens’, aiming to remove any migrant who is not considered a ‘net asset’ to the US.
Trump did not specify which nations were being labeled as ‘third-world’ for this immigration ban. However, USCIS referenced a list of 19 countries ‘of concern’ identified for restrictions in June.
This list features Afghanistan, Haiti, Myanmar, Burundi, Laos, Togo, Venezuela, Sierra Leone, Iran, and Turkmenistan.
As part of this immigration crackdown, Trump vowed on Thursday night to revise the green card system extensively, potentially increasing efforts to deport individuals participating in protests.
Trump stated 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’.
Following Trump’s directive, USCIS Director Edlow indicated that these measures would involve ‘a full-scale, rigorous re-examination of every green card for every alien from every country of concern’.
This could result in any naturalized US resident from the vaguely defined ‘third-world countries’ having their status revoked under this review.