Guard Member Dies; Trump Vows to “Permanently Pause” Third World Migration

One of the two West Virginia National Guard members shot Wednesday near the White House has died, President Trump announced on Thanksgiving, and hours later he vowed to “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries,” NPR, NBC News and CNBC reported.

Mr. Trump announced the death during a Thanksgiving call to service members and said the second guardsman “is fighting for his life,” NPR reported. West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said the guardsman “answered the call to serve,” per NPR. Both were on patrol a few blocks from the White House when a gunman opened fire.

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for Washington, said the alleged gunman, an Afghan national, drove across the country from his home in Washington state and carried out a “targeted attack,” NPR and NBC News reported.

In a pair of late-night Truth Social posts, Mr. Trump said he would “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover,” without defining the term, CNBC, NBC News and CBS News reported. He said he would also end “millions” of admissions under former President Joe Biden, remove “anyone who is not a net asset,” end all federal benefits and subsidies for noncitizens, and deport any foreign national he described as “non-compatible with Western Civilization,” according to CNBC and CBS News.

The announcement followed administrative steps the day before. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow directed a “full scale, rigorous reexamination” of green cards for immigrants from “countries of concern,” NPR and CBS News reported, and the agency indefinitely suspended all immigration requests involving Afghan nationals, CBS News reported. NBC News and CNBC said the 19 countries under scrutiny were those covered by a June travel ban, which CNBC said includes Afghanistan.

It is unclear which countries Mr. Trump meant or how the new posts would affect the review, NBC News and CBS News noted. The administration frames the steps as protective measures for national security after the attack. Mr. Trump has pursued an aggressive immigration agenda since returning to office, CNBC noted.