WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — On Thanksgiving evening, President Donald Trump shared his thoughts on immigration during a tumultuous time, following the shooting of two National Guard members deployed in Washington, D.C., an operation initiated by Trump himself. One of the servicemen succumbed to his injuries shortly before the president addressed U.S. troops via video.

In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump declared a desire to 'permanently pause migration' from poorer nations, a statement that stirred considerable controversy. He described 'most' foreign-born residents in the United States as being reliant on welfare or coming from 'failed nations, prisons, mental institutions, gangs, or drug cartels'. His remarks drew fire from various quarters, particularly as they appeared to inaccurately correlate immigration with crime, a narrative that predominantly overlooks the fact that crime is primarily perpetrated by U.S. citizens.

The backdrop to his comments was a grave incident involving a 29-year-old Afghan national, who previously assisted the CIA during the Afghanistan War and is now facing charges related to the shooting. This complex situation has reignited national conversation about immigration policies, safety, and the rhetoric surrounding these issues.}