The Biden-era resettlement of Afghan nationals is once again under fierce scrutiny after the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced a sweeping re-examination of green card holders from 19 “countries of concern.”
The move came less than 24 hours after a targeted shooting near the White House left one National Guard member dead, another critically wounded, and reignited a national debate over vetting failures.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said Thursday that President Donald Trump had ordered “a full-scale, rigorous reexamination” of every green card issued to immigrants from the designated countries, which include Afghanistan, Iran, Haiti, Syria, Venezuela, and others flagged in a June presidential proclamation for deficiencies in security screening.
The announcement marks the most expansive review of lawful permanent residents in decades, and it signals a dramatic shift in how the administration intends to treat thousands of immigrants who were admitted legally but are now subject to potential revocation if deemed improperly vetted.
A Shooting With Far-Reaching Consequences
The policy shift was triggered by Wednesday’s attack in Washington, D.C., when two National Guard members deployed under Trump’s federal policing initiative were ambushed near the Farragut West Metro station.
Twenty-year-old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom later died of her injuries. Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition.
Federal investigators identified the suspect as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who arrived in the United States in September 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, the emergency evacuation program launched during the Taliban takeover.
A relative told NBC News that Lakanwal served in the Afghan Army for a decade, including alongside U.S. Special Forces in Kandahar. The CIA later confirmed he had worked with American intelligence as part of a partner force until the U.S. withdrawal.
He ultimately settled in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children.
Investigators say Lakanwal drove across the country before carrying out what authorities describe as a deliberate ambush.
Trump: “We Must Re-Examine Every Single Alien” From Afghanistan
In a video statement Thursday evening, President Trump called the shooting “an act of terror” and criticized the Biden administration’s decision to admit tens of thousands of Afghans in 2021.
“We must now re-examine every single alien who entered from Afghanistan under Biden,” Trump said, calling the attack “a crime against our entire nation.”
Shortly after his remarks, USCIS announced that all immigration processing for Afghan nationals would be halted indefinitely while new vetting protocols are developed.
A Policy With Uncertain Reach
It remains unclear how many of the roughly 76,000 Afghans evacuated in 2021 — as well as thousands of green card holders from other listed countries — may be subject to reviews, interviews, or possible revocation proceedings.
Legal experts say the policy is likely to face legal challenges, though the administration has made clear it intends to pursue an aggressive reassessment of prior admissions.
Local officials, meanwhile, urged caution in assigning collective blame.
San Diego–based AfghanEvac, a major resettlement advocacy group, said Afghan wartime partners are among the most heavily vetted immigrants in the U.S. system. “This act should not be used to define or diminish an entire community,” the group said.
But Thursday’s developments reinforce how a single violent incident — especially when tied to a national security program — can reshape federal policy overnight.
For now, federal officials say the investigation into Lakanwal’s motive is ongoing, and that prosecutors are treating the case as a potential act of terrorism.
