Trump vows ‘reverse migration’ after National Guard killing, announces sweeping immigration halt

Aboard Air Force One, US President Donald Trump reaffirmed his administration’s hard-line immigration agenda, telling reporters he planned to initiate what he described as “reverse migration” following the fatal National Guard shooting near the White House.

Pressed to explain the phrase, Trump said, “It means get people out that are in our country, get them out of here. I want to get them out.”

He also blamed his predecessor Joe Biden for the situation, saying, “We’ve got a lot of people, he’s the worst President in the history of our country, but the single biggest thing he did was allow millions, the worst, allow millions of people into our country that shouldn’t be here.”

Trump referred to the attack that killed Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and critically injured Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24 — both members of the West Virginia National Guard deployed to Washington as part of his crime-fighting initiative.

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“You take a look at the people that were allowed to come into our country, we’re paying a big price for it and we will for years to come, including the recent killer of two wonderful National Guard people,” he said.

He added, “And I’ll tell you what, that animal should not have been allowed to come into our country.”

The suspect, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the US in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era resettlement programme for Afghans who assisted American forces during the war. According to the Associated Press, a resettlement advocacy group said Lakanwal applied for asylum during the previous administration and was granted it earlier this year under Trump.

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Lakanwal had served in a CIA-backed Afghan Army unit and lived in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children.

In response to the shooting, the administration suspended all asylum decisions and paused visa issuance for travellers using Afghan passports. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said determinations would remain on hold “until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a parallel halt on Afghan-passport visas.

Federal prosecutors have charged Lakanwal with first-degree murder and several counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said there would be “many changes to come.”

The administration has also ordered 500 additional National Guard personnel to Washington, bringing the total deployed under the joint task force to nearly 2,200. More state-level deployments are expected, according to an Army spokesperson cited by AP.