As US President Donald Trump vowed to “permanently suspend” migration from “all third world countries” after a shooting near the White House, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday they were working to cut federal benefits for illegal aliens.
“At Trump’s direction, we are working to cut federal benefits to illegal aliens and preserve them for US citizens,” Bessent said in a post on X.
He further added: “The Treasury Department has announced that it will issue proposed regulations to clarify that refundable portions of certain individual tax benefits are no longer available to illegal aliens and other non-qualified aliens, including the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Additional Child Tax Credit, the American Opportunity Tax Credit, and the Match Credit.
The development comes after an Afghan national shot and killed two National Guardsmen in Washington DC on Wednesday.
Earlier on Thursday, Trump said he would suspend migration from what he called “Third World countries” and also threatened to rescind “millions” of admissions granted under his predecessor, Joe Biden, in a new escalation of his anti-immigration stance.
“I will permanently suspend migration from all third world countries to allow the American system to fully recover,” Trump wrote on social media.
He linked the shooting to his decision to send hundreds of National Guard troops into the city.
“If they weren’t effective, you probably wouldn’t have it done,” Trump said. “Maybe this man was angry because he couldn’t run a crime.
Joseph Edlow, Trump’s director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said he has ordered a full and rigorous review of every green card for every alien from all affected countries.
The FBI has opened an international terror investigation as new details emerged about alleged shooter Rahmanullah Lakanwala, 29, an Afghan national who entered the US in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, opened fire in an unprovoked, ambush-style attack armed with a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver.
