Trump Announces Immigration Pause Following Washington D.C. Shooting, Targets Somali Communities
WASHINGTON D.C. – Following a shooting in Washington D.C.,President Donald Trump announced plans too “permanently pause” migration from what he termed “third world countries,” and has initiated sweeping reviews of existing immigration and asylum cases. The announcements came within 24 hours of the shooting and signal a important escalation of the administration’s restrictive immigration policies.
During a post on social media, the president specifically singled out Somali communities in Minnesota, shortly after previously promising to end temporary protected status for people from Somalia in the state. He stated the shooting “reminds us that we have no greater national security priority than ensuring that we have full control over the people that enter and remain in our country.”
The administration has already taken concrete steps. U.S.Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has indefinitely suspended processing of immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals, pending further review.The Department of Homeland Security subsequently expanded the review to include all asylum cases approved under the Biden administration, without clarifying whether the review encompasses cases from Afghanistan alone or other countries.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow announced a “full-scale, rigorous re-examination of every green card for every alien from every country of concern,” at the president’s direction. While Edlow’s statement did not specify which countries are considered of concern, USCIS referenced a travel ban Trump imposed in June on citizens of 19 countries, including Afghanistan, Burundi, Laos, Togo, Venezuela, Sierra Leone, and Turkmenistan.
This echoes a similar, widely criticized travel ban implemented during Trump’s first term in 2017, which faced significant legal challenges and public resistance before being rescinded by President joe biden in 2021.
The developments coincide with an ongoing National Guard deployment in Washington D.C. Troops were initially stationed in August after the Trump administration declared a “crime emergency.” Following Wednesday’s shooting, Trump announced plans to deploy an additional 500 National guard troops. A federal judge recently ordered an end to the deployment, but has temporarily stayed the order for 21 days to allow the administration time to appeal or remove the troops.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
