President Doanld Trump said Thursday that he will permanently stop migration from all ‘Third World Countries.
He intensified his hardline stance after authorities identified an Afghan national as the suspect in Wednesday’s shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members. One soldier, Sarah Beckstrom, died Thursday, while the other, Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition.
The suspect arrived in the US in 2021, as America withdrew from Afghanistan. He later gained asylum. Prosecutors are seeking first-degree murder charges against him.
The Department of Homeland Security quickly halted all Afghan-related immigration processing and suspended asylum decisions until officials complete stricter vetting.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services also moved to expand restrictions affecting people from 19 countries, making green-card approvals unlikely.
DHS began reviewing refugee and asylum cases approved under the Biden administration, raising concerns that some could lose legal status.
Officials have not clarified which countries may face bans or how the administration plans to enforce them.
Critics accused the administration of using the shooting to justify sweeping immigration rollbacks.