US President Donald Trump on Thursday unleashed a series of posts on Truth Social that could dramatically reshape US immigration policy, declaring that he will “permanently pause” migration from “all third world countries” and calling for “reverse migration” to remove certain immigrants.

“I will permanently pause migration from all third world countries to allow the US system to fully recover. This is necessary because unchecked migration has weakened American society and strained its resources. Until the system stabilises, no new immigrants from these countries will be allowed entry,” Trump wrote.

He did not identify any countries by name or give any specifics about what he meant by “permanently pause”. However, his posts signal a sweeping crackdown that could affect millions of residents from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and which could also alter refugee, Green Card, and other immigration programmes.

The development comes a day after the US government abruptly halted the processing of all immigration requests from Afghan nationals, following the shooting of two National Guard soldiers near the White House. Trump had earlier announced that Sarah Beckstrom, one of the two National Guard troops shot, had died, while the other soldier was “fighting for his life”.

In his posts, he also declared he would denaturalise migrants who “undermine domestic tranquillity, and deport any foreign national who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western civilisation.

Trump argued that US immigration policies had weakened the country despite technological progress and said the nation needed time “to fully recover” from what he called an immigration onslaught.

His posts outlined measures to terminate “millions” of admissions granted under his predecessor Joe Biden, including those signed by “sleepy Joe’s autopen”. He further said he would remove anyone he deemed “not a net asset” to the US or “incapable of loving our country”.

“Those who fail to contribute positively or respect American values will not be allowed to remain. The goal is to ensure that only individuals who strengthen the nation are permitted to live and work here,” he said.

Trump stressed that these reforms would not stop there.

“Only reverse migration can fully cure this situation. Individuals who have entered the US illegally or disrupted American society will be encouraged to return to their home countries. This step is presented as the only way to restore law, order, and stability in the US,” he said.

He also pledged to end all federal benefits for non-citizens, in an effort to ease the financial burden on American taxpayers.

“All federal benefits and subsidies for non-citizens of our country will be ended. This includes welfare, health care, and other support programmes that previously went to migrants. The policy is meant to stop the financial burden on American taxpayers and prioritise citizens first,” he said.

In one post, Trump attached a picture of Afghans being airlifted and wrote: “This is part of the horrendous airlift from Afghanistan. Hundreds of thousands of people poured into our country totally unvetted and unchecked. We will fix it, but will never forget what crooked Joe Biden and his thugs did to our country!”

The US president added that “these goals will be pursued with the aim of achieving a major reduction in illegal and disruptive populations”.

On Thursday, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow announced that the president had ordered a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination” of every Green Card issued to immigrants from 19 countries listed in a June presidential proclamation.

These countries include Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, and Venezuela — but not Pakistan.

“The protection of this country and of the American people remains paramount, and the American people will not bear the cost of the prior administration’s reckless resettlement policies,” Edlow wrote on Truth Social.

Millions of Green Card holders and permanent residents from these countries could face scrutiny, even if they have lived in the US for years.

Trump had immediately linked the shooting of the two National Guard soldiers to immigration, stating that the shooter, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, had been flown into the US in September 2021 and later had his status extended under Biden-era policies.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed that Lakanwal had worked with US forces in Kandahar and was admitted as part of partner forces, but described the admission as part of “the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan”.

The Pentagon confirmed the deployment of an additional 500 National Guard personnel to Washington, adding to the 2,200 already stationed in the capital.

USCIS also suspended all immigration requests from Afghan nationals pending a review of vetting and security procedures, leaving roughly 200,000 Afghans in limbo.

In his posts, Trump also framed immigration as “the single greatest national security threat,” asserting that the previous administration had admitted “20 million unknown and unvetted foreigners from all over the world.”

“Any alien from any country who does not belong here, or add benefit to our country… If they can’t love our country, we don’t want ’em,” he said, signalling that his administration intended to pursue aggressive enforcement measures.

The combined directives point to an unprecedented federal review of immigrants, refugees, and Green Card holders from third world countries, potentially affecting millions of families abroad who seek to migrate or are already in the United States.

Additional input from AFP