The Trump administration, escalating its response after two National Guard members were shot with one of them succumbing in Washington, DC, has ordered an extensive review of immigration records for thousands of people.
Soon after officials identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, moves to intensify immigration restrictions accelerated sharply. In a statement on X, Joe Edlow -- director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services -- announced, “At the direction of @POTUS, I have directed a full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern.”
USCIS, when pressed for clarification on what those “countries of concern” were, directed CNN to a list included in a presidential proclamation from June.
Which 19 countries face Green Card scrutiny?
The list of 19 nations includes:
| S.No | Country |
|---|---|
| 1 | Afghanistan |
| 2 | Burma |
| 3 | Chad |
| 4 | Republic of the Congo |
| 5 | Equatorial Guinea |
| 6 | Eritrea |
| 7 | Haiti |
| 8 | Iran |
| 9 | Libya |
| 10 | Somalia |
| 11 | Sudan |
| 12 | Yemen |
| 13 | Burundi |
| 14 | Cuba |
| 15 | Laos |
| 16 | Sierra Leone |
| 17 | Togo |
| 18 | Turkmenistan |
| 19 | Venezuela |
The Department of Homeland Security echoed the hardening posture, saying that asylum approvals from the previous administration were now under scrutiny.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated, “Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols,” and added, “The Trump Administration is also reviewing all asylum cases approved under the Biden Administration.”
According to CNN, Lakanwal’s background has become central to the political reaction. He had previously worked with the US government -- including the CIA -- and entered the United States in 2021 through Biden’s “Operation Allies Welcome” after assisting American efforts in Afghanistan. He reportedly filed an asylum claim in 2024 and received approval in April 2025.
In a recorded address from his Mar-a-Lago property on Wednesday night (local time), President Trump placed responsibility on the Biden administration for allowing the alleged attacker into the country.
He argued the incident “underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation” and said, “We must now reexamine every single alien who’s entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or add benefit to our country.”
He also lamented what he called “20 million unknown and unvetted foreigners” who he said arrived during Biden’s tenure, describing them as “a risk to our very survival.”
Since the US military withdrawal in August 2021, more than 190,000 Afghans have settled in the United States, according to the State Department.
While green cards function as proof of lawful permanent residency -- separate from refugee and asylum processes, though refugees must apply for a green card after a year -- they are now the latest focus of the administration’s sweeping reassessment.
Trump says National Guard soldier dies
US President Donald Trump has announced the demise of one of the two National Guard soldiers wounded in the recent shooting that occurred blocks away from the White House.
The deceased National Guard soldier has been identified as US Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, who hailed from West Virginia.
"Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, one of the guardsmen that we're talking about, highly respected, young, magnificent person, started service in June of 2023, outstanding in every way. She's just passed away," CNN reported Trump as saying in a Thanksgiving call to service members on Thursday (local time).
"She's no longer with us. She's looking down at us right now," Trump said.
"As you know, the other young man is fighting for his life. He's in very bad shape. He's fighting for his life. And hopefully we'll get better news with respect to him," CNN reported Trump as saying while referring to 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, the other victim in Wednesday's shooting.
Earlier, Trump denounced the shooting of two National Guard soldiers near the White House, describing it as a "horrific assault" and "an act of terror," as federal agencies continued to investigate the attack that took place a day before Thanksgiving.The deceased National Guard soldier has been identified as US Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, who hailed from West Virginia.
With ANI inputs
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