WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump said he wants to permanently halt migration from poorer countries and pursue the removal of millions of immigrants by revoking their legal status, linking immigration to what he described as widespread social dysfunction in the United States.
Trump issued the statement in a forceful post on his Truth Social account late Thursday. His remarks came one day after two National Guard members were shot while patrolling the streets of Washington under his orders. One soldier died and the other remains in critical condition.
Authorities have charged a 29 year old Afghan national who previously worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan War. He arrived in the United States through a resettlement program for Afghans who assisted American forces.
Trump’s threat to halt immigration marks one of his most severe positions since returning to the Oval Office in January. The proposal would reshape a nation long defined by its openness to newcomers.
Since the shooting near the White House, administration officials have pledged to reexamine the legal status of millions of immigrants. This builds on a 10 month effort to reduce the number of foreign born residents in the country.
In his post, Trump argued that immigrants were responsible for crime, housing shortages, and other domestic problems. He demanded what he called “reverse migration” and warned that those who “hate, steal, murder, and destroy” would not remain in the United States. He extended Thanksgiving greetings in the same message.
Trump campaigned in part on a promise to curb illegal migration. His administration has carried out raids and deportations that have disrupted workplaces, schools, and communities. Economists warn that further deportations could carry economic risks, as foreign born workers hold nearly 31 million jobs according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
On Truth Social, Trump claimed that most foreign born residents are on welfare or come from failed states, prisons, mental institutions, gangs, or drug cartels. He blamed them for crime even though federal data shows that crime is largely committed by people born in the United States.
Research has consistently contradicted Trump’s claims. A review in the Annual Review of Criminology reported that higher concentrations of immigrants are not linked to increased crime. Another study released in 2023 found that immigrants are 60 percent less likely to be incarcerated than U.S. born residents, a trend that has held for 150 years.
The White House described Trump’s post as one of his most significant messages. Trump pledged to terminate millions of admissions granted during the Biden administration, end federal benefits for non citizens, revoke naturalization from individuals he believes undermine domestic tranquility, and deport those he views as incompatible with Western civilization.
Trump also targeted immigrants from Somalia, claiming they were taking over Minnesota. He used a derogatory slur to insult Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee last year.
On Wednesday night, Trump called for a reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees admitted under President Biden. The next day, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow said the agency would expand screening for people from 19 unspecified high risk countries. In June, the administration had already banned travel from 12 countries and restricted travel from seven others for national security reasons.
The shooting of the two National Guard members appeared to intensify Trump’s rhetoric, although he did not mention the incident directly in his post.
The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is accused of driving across the country to Washington and shooting Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. Beckstrom died Thursday while Wolfe remains in critical condition.
Lakanwal, who was also wounded during the incident, is in custody. When asked Thursday whether he blamed the attack on all Afghans who entered the country, Trump did not respond directly.
