Major US Immigration Security Review Announced
The Trump administration has ordered a comprehensive security review that could affect tens of thousands of legal residents in the United States. This dramatic move involves reexamining every green card issued to immigrants from 19 designated 'countries of concern'.
Federal officials describe the process as 'full scale and rigorous', representing a significant escalation in immigration policy following the attempted assassination-style shooting of two National Guard members in Washington.
Direct Presidential Order
Joseph B. Edlow, Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), publicly announced the order, confirming it came directly from President Donald Trump. '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,' Edlow stated.
In subsequent comments, Edlow emphasised the administration's position on national security. 'The protection of this country and of the American people remains paramount, and the American people will not bear the cost of the prior administration's reckless resettlement policies. American safety is non negotiable.'
Countries Subject to Review
The 19 nations identified as 'countries of concern' under a June presidential proclamation are:
- Afghanistan
- Burma
- Chad
- Republic of the Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
- Burundi
- Cuba
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Venezuela
While the administration hasn't specified how many green card holders might be affected, this represents one of the most aggressive retroactive immigration screening actions ever undertaken by a sitting administration.
Expanded Security Measures
Simultaneously with the USCIS green card review, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed it is re-examining all asylum cases approved under the Biden administration. These combined actions place two of the largest immigration legal pathways of the last decade - asylum and Afghan humanitarian resettlement - under retroactive federal scrutiny.
The security review announcement followed closely after a violent incident in Washington DC where two West Virginia National Guard members were ambushed. Tragically, 20-year-old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom died from her wounds on Thursday evening, while her colleague, 24-year-old Staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition.
The alleged gunman was identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the United States in 2021 during the mass evacuation following the collapse of the US-backed Afghan government. Federal officials are investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism.
Lakanwal was among approximately 76,000 Afghans brought to the United States under Operation Allies Welcome, the emergency resettlement initiative launched after the Taliban seized control during the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Former CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed that Lakanwal had worked with the CIA as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, though specific details about his duties weren't disclosed. The Kandahar region served as a Taliban stronghold and saw intense fighting between NATO forces and insurgents after the September 11 attacks.
According to humanitarian group #AfghanEvac, Lakanwal's asylum was approved in April under the Trump administration after he underwent extensive vetting including fingerprinting, iris scans, background checks, interviews, and formal risk assessments required of all asylum applicants.
Shawn VanDiver, president of #AfghanEvac, cautioned against using the alleged actions of one individual to condemn an entire population of evacuees, stating 'I don't want people to leverage this tragedy into a political ploy.'
