US President Donald Trump says his administration will “permanently pause migration from all third world countries,” following the shooting of two National Guard members near the White House. The incident has quickly become a major flashpoint in the government’s intensifying immigration crackdown.

In a late-night post on Thursday, Trump said his administration would also end all federal benefits for noncitizens and deport anyone who is “not a net asset to the United States.” He made the declaration just hours after announcing the death of 20-year-old National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, who was shot alongside fellow guard member Andrew Wolfe, 24. Wolfe remains in critical condition.

Authorities believe the attack was carried out by 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who came to the US in 2021 under a Biden-era evacuation program. He was granted asylum earlier this year and had previously worked with CIA-backed military units in Afghanistan. Lakanwal was wounded during the confrontation and is currently in custody.

Trump’s statement did not list the specific countries that would be affected or define what he meant by “third world countries,” but the message used stark anti-immigration rhetoric. It also singled out Somali communities in Minnesota, following his recent decision to end temporary protected status for Somali nationals.

The shooting has triggered sweeping new federal actions. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has halted all immigration processing involving Afghan nationals pending a security review, while the Department of Homeland Security announced a review of all asylum cases approved under the Biden administration.

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow also said he is carrying out a “full-scale, rigorous re-examination” of all green cards issued to immigrants from “countries of concern,” referencing a travel ban Trump reintroduced earlier this year that targets citizens from 19 nations, including Afghanistan, Burundi, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Venezuela, and Turkmenistan.

It remains unclear how Trump plans to enforce a full migration pause, as previous immigration bans implemented under his administration faced strong legal challenges. The 2017 travel ban, in particular, sparked nationwide protests and lengthy court battles.

Speaking earlier on Thursday, Trump said the shooting “reminds us that we have no greater national security priority than ensuring full control over who enters and remains in our country.”