Trump says US will 'permanently pause' migration from 'third world countries'

US President Donald Trump has threatened to escalate his crackdown on immigration - pledging to "permanently pause migration" to the US from all "third world countries" as he hit out against his country's "refugee burden".

Trump's social media post came after he announced that a US National Guard member had died after a shooting in Washington DC - for which an Afghan national has been blamed.

He did not give further details or name which countries might be affected. Such a plan could face legal challenges and has already prompted pushback from UN agencies.

The president's announcements after Wednesday's fatal attack represent a further toughening of his stance towards migrants during his second presidency.

Among other moves, Trump has sought to enact mass deportations of migrants who entered the US illegally, to drastically cut the annual number of refugee admissions, and to end automatic citizenship rights that currently apply to nearly anyone born on US territory.

Mr Lakanwal later applied for asylum in 2024. His application was granted earlier this year, reportedly after Trump returned to power.

But Mr Lakanwal's request for a green card, which is tied to the asylum grant, is pending, a Homeland Security official told CBS.

The suspect was arrested after the attack and was said to be not co-operating with authorities. Trump described the incident as an "act of terror".

He said the following day that one of the two members of the National Guard who were shot had died.

Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old from West Virginia, was working in the city as part of Trump's deployment of National Guard members to crack down on crime.

She had volunteered to work in DC over the US Thanksgiving holiday, Attorney General Pam Bondi said.

The second National Guard member, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, was said by Trump to be "fighting for his life".

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