New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has proposed his most sweeping immigration order yet, announcing a “permanent pause” on migration from all “Third World countries”. The decision comes after an Afghan national fatally shot National Guard soldier Sarah Beckstrom near the White House on November 26. Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe was critically injured in the ambush, which Trump has framed as proof of systemic failure in America’s refugee vetting mechanisms.
The shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the country under the Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome initiative and had previously worked with the CIA in Afghanistan. He later secured asylum in early 2025. Trump immediately blamed a “broken system,” accusing foreign-born residents of straining US resources and posing national security threats.
’19 countries of concern’
In a sharply worded Truth Social post, Trump announced a rigorous re-examination of all Green Cards issued to nationals from 19 “countries of concern”, including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Haiti, Somalia, and Yemen. The order also seeks to terminate federal benefits for non-citizens, ramp up deportations of individuals deemed “security risks,” and root out what Trump described as “illegal and disruptive populations,” including those admitted through an allegedly “unauthorised and illegal autopen approval process.”
Measure increases uncertainty over legal immigration
Though India is not on the list, the policy has unsettled millions in the Indian diaspora, already hit hard by Trump’s earlier measures, including record deportations, a $100,000 H-1B visa fee, student visa cuts, and the rollback of H-4 work authorisations. Analysts say the new rhetoric reinforces fears of long-term tightening around legal immigration.
Two million self-deportations triggered so far
Since returning to office in 2025, Trump has halted refugee admissions, slashed asylum processing, deployed military units to the border, cutting crossings by 93 per cent, and pushed a massive “reverse migration” strategy that has triggered over two million self-deportations.
The Washington shooting has now magnified political tensions, raising fresh questions about the future of immigration in America and the stability of India-US ties as thousands of Indian families reassess their prospects in a rapidly shifting landscape.