HAMILTON, Canada – In a dramatic escalation of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, the head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Thursday a comprehensive reexamination of every green card held by immigrants from 19 designated "countries of concern." The directive, issued at the personal behest of President Donald Trump, comes just one day after a fatal shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., allegedly carried out by an Afghan national who had been granted asylum in the United States earlier this year.
The move signals a profound shift in U.S. immigration policy, targeting lawful permanent residents – individuals who have already undergone extensive vetting and are on a path to citizenship – in a bid to address perceived national security lapses from the prior administration. USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow, in a stark statement posted on the social media platform X, emphasized that "the protection of this country and of the American people remains paramount." He further lambasted the Biden-era policies as "reckless resettlement," declaring that "American safety is non-negotiable."
Edlow's announcement specifies a "full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern." When pressed for details on the targeted nations, USCIS referred inquiries to a June 4, 2025, presidential proclamation titled "Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Security Threats." That executive action, signed by Trump shortly after his inauguration, imposed full or partial entry restrictions on nationals from the following 19 countries due to factors including high visa overstay rates, inadequate cooperation on deportations, weak identity document security, and elevated terrorism risks: Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Under the new guidance, USCIS officers are authorized to weigh "negative, country-specific factors" more heavily in their assessments, such as a nation's capacity to issue reliable identity documents or facilitate thorough background checks. This policy applies retroactively to all pending or newly filed immigration requests from these countries, effective immediately as of November 27, 2025. While no automatic revocations are planned, the review could lead to deportations for those whose statuses are deemed insecure, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of green card holders.
The timing of the order is inextricably linked to the tragic events unfolding in the nation's capital. On the eve of Thanksgiving, November 26, 2025, two members of the West Virginia National Guard – deployed to Washington as part of Trump's "D.C. Safe and Beautiful Mission" to combat urban crime – were ambushed in a targeted attack just blocks from the White House. The assault occurred near the Farragut West Metro station around 2:15 p.m., as the guardsmen conducted routine patrols.
U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, from Summersville, West Virginia, succumbed to her injuries on Thursday, as confirmed by President Trump during a Thanksgiving video call with military personnel from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida. "Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, one of the guardsmen that we’re talking about, a highly respected, young, magnificent person... She’s just passed away," Trump said, his voice heavy with emotion. "She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now." Beckstrom, who enlisted in June 2023 and aspired to a career with the FBI, had volunteered for holiday duty to allow fellow guardsmen family time. Her father, Gary Beckstrom, shared the family's grief on social media: "My baby girl has passed to glory," he wrote, describing the loss as a "horrible tragedy."
The second victim, U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, from Martinsburg, West Virginia, remains in critical condition following surgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Wolfe, who joined the service in February 2019 and was assigned to the 167th Airlift Wing's Force Support Squadron, underwent a dignified transfer procession Thursday evening, lined by law enforcement and attended by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey and Senator Jim Justice issued statements of devastation, with Justice urging prayers for Wolfe's recovery. Both victims had been deputized for law enforcement duties less than 24 hours before the attack, highlighting the rapid integration of National Guard forces into D.C.'s security apparatus.
Authorities swiftly identified the suspected gunman as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national taken into custody after a brief exchange of gunfire. Lakanwal, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries, faces federal charges including three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, according to U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro. Prosecutors are pursuing terrorism enhancements, potentially seeking life imprisonment or the death penalty.
Lakanwal's background adds layers of complexity to the unfolding narrative. Born in Khost province, he collaborated with U.S. government agencies, including the CIA, as part of an elite Afghan counterterrorism unit known as NDS-03 – a CIA-backed paramilitary "Zero Unit" operating in Kandahar against Taliban forces. His service ended with the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, after which he was evacuated under Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration initiative that resettled over 76,000 Afghans who aided American efforts. Arriving in the U.S. on September 8, 2021, via humanitarian parole, Lakanwal settled in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children. He applied for asylum in 2024 and received approval in April 2025 under the Trump administration, though his green card application remains pending.
Investigators believe Lakanwal drove cross-country from Washington state to execute the ambush, using a .357 revolver. The FBI is probing potential motives tied to anti-U.S. sentiments or radicalization, though no manifesto or group affiliation has been confirmed. CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed Lakanwal's prior partnership but stressed that extensive initial vetting in 2011 and re-screening in 2021 yielded no red flags.
President Trump's response has been visceral and policy-shaping. In his Mar-a-Lago address, he decried the attack as emblematic of broader failures: "We've had a lot of problems with Afghans because they had a lot of them coming in on these planes," he said, accusing entrants of criminality. He extended criticism to Somali immigrants, vowing a ban on their entry and claiming they are "ripping off our country" and "taking over Minnesota." Trump singled out Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Somali-American, as emblematic of the issue: "She comes from a country with practically no country... It's devastated, it's crime-ridden, it's a mess." By Thursday evening, Trump escalated further on X, declaring a "permanent pause" on migration from all "Third World Countries" to allow the U.S. system to "fully recover."
These remarks have ignited fierce partisan debate. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees USCIS, simultaneously announced a pause on all immigration processing for Afghan nationals – effective immediately and indefinite – pending enhanced security protocols. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told CNN that the administration is also scrutinizing every asylum case approved under President Joe Biden, affecting up to 200,000 refugees admitted from 2021 to 2025. "The Trump Administration is reviewing all asylum cases approved under the Biden Administration," McLaughlin stated.
Critics, including immigrant advocacy groups, decry the measures as discriminatory overreach. The Alliance of Afghan Communities in the United States condemned the shooting but warned that Lakanwal's actions could unfairly stigmatize law-abiding Afghans, many of whom underwent "some of the most extensive security vetting of any population." AfghanEvac, a nonprofit aiding U.S. allies from the war, echoed this, noting that Afghans like Lakanwal – who risked their lives for American forces – now face collective punishment. Legal experts anticipate court challenges, arguing the reviews infringe on due process for permanent residents.
Supporters, however, hail the actions as overdue safeguards. Edlow's X post garnered over 41,000 likes, with users praising the focus on "America First." The policy builds on Trump's January 20, 2025, executive order suspending refugee resettlement entirely, a reversal of Biden's expansions.
As investigations continue, the shooting's ripple effects extend beyond borders. In Afghanistan, Taliban spokespeople distanced themselves from Lakanwal, calling him a "former puppet collaborator." Domestically, vigils for Beckstrom swelled in West Virginia, where communities mourned a "tenderhearted" patriot who volunteered for extra shifts. Trump has indicated he may attend her funeral, underscoring the personal toll on a divided nation.
This overhaul, if fully implemented, could reshape the lives of millions, forcing a reckoning with America's post-9/11 immigration legacy. With green card reviews underway and Afghan processing frozen, the administration's message is unequivocal: no entry, no exception, no end in sight to the tightening grip on borders. As Thanksgiving tables cleared across the country, the specter of violence and policy upheaval lingered, a grim counterpoint to gratitude.
