Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem turned up the heat on immigration policy Monday, calling for what she describes as a comprehensive travel ban targeting countries that have sent immigrants to the United States.
Noem's Sharp-Worded Call for Action
In a post on X, Noem said she had just met with the president and urged him to implement a "full travel ban on every damn country that's been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies." Not exactly diplomatic language, but subtlety doesn't seem to be the goal here.
She positioned her message as protecting American principles, writing that "Our forefathers built this nation on blood, sweat, and the unyielding love of freedom—not for foreign invaders to slaughter our heroes, suck dry our hard-earned tax dollars, or snatch the benefits owed to AMERICANS."
Noem concluded with an emphatic statement in all caps: "WE DON'T WANT THEM. NOT ONE."
The official Homeland Security account on X later reinforced her message, highlighting the phrase "EVERY DAMN COUNTRY."
White House Shooting Sparks Immigration Crackdown
President Donald Trump amplified Noem's statement by sharing it on Truth Social, though he didn't add commentary of his own.
The backdrop to all this: Last week's deadly shooting near the White House. Noem stated that the suspect had been radicalized after arriving in the U.S. The 29-year-old Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was arrested following the attack that killed Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounded Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe.
Here's where it gets complicated. Lakanwal entered the country in 2021 after working with U.S. forces and the CIA in Afghanistan. Prosecutors are expected to pursue first-degree murder charges and seek the death penalty.
The Trump administration is pointing fingers at the Biden administration for admitting Lakanwal and is now pushing for tighter immigration controls across the board. That includes halting Afghan immigration reviews and taking a fresh look at those who've already been admitted to the country.