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.