President Donald Trump says he will
“permanently pause migration”
from select countries following the fatal shooting of two Guard members in Washington.
Trump issued a proclamation in June that prohibited travel to the United States from twelve nations, primarily in the Middle East and Africa, and placed travel restrictions on a number of other nations.
Trump also outlined other steps the United States would take in the tweet on Thursday, though it's unclear how the Trump administration intends to carry them out.
He declared that the United States would "terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden's Autopen, and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States or is incapable of loving our Country, end all Federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens of our Country, denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, is the suspect in the shooting on Wednesday that killed one National Guard member and critically injured another.
Lakanwal arrived in the United States in 2021, according to officials, under the Biden administration. Several law enforcement sources claim that Trump gave him refuge in April 2025.
According to people familiar with the inquiry, the suspect was a member of the Zero Unit in Afghanistan and collaborated closely with the Joint Special Operations Command and the CIA. According to sources, the suspect was a reliable member of that team that pursued counterterrorism targets in the United States.
Following the massacre, Trump promised an immigration crackdown, stating on Wednesday that the incident "underscores the greatest national security threat facing our nation."
What legal authorities could the president use to implement a pause?
The chairman has broad authority under the INA to suspend or circumscribe the entry of aliens into the United States if supposed necessary for public security or public interest. Section 212( f) allows the chairman to suspend entry of all or any classes of aliens as he deems applicable.
Historically, chairpersons have used superintendent orders or proclamations to put trip bans or immigration restrictions, similar to Trump's trip bans on certain countries during his first term. These are grounded on INA authority and foreign policy considerations.
Still, similar conduct is subject to judicial review and must misbehave with indigenous protections. Courts have in the past blocked or limited immigration restrictions if they overreach or violate due process rights, and Congress holds the" power of the bag" and legislative authority over immigration policy.