The United States government will reexamine all green cards issued to immigrants from 19 countries described as “countries of concern.”
President Donald Trump ordered the review as his administration intensifies immigration restrictions following the fatal shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC.
Joe Edlow, Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, announced the directive on Thursday.
He said the review will be “full scale” and “rigorous,” adding that every green card issued to nationals from those countries will face reassessment.
USCIS pointed to a June presidential proclamation that listed the affected countries.
The 19 nations are Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
The agency said new vetting will consider “negative, country-specific factors,” including whether a country can issue secure identity documents.
The move comes one day after authorities identified Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, as the suspect in the Washington shooting.
Lakanwal came to the US in 2021 under “Operation Allies Welcome” after assisting the American government in Afghanistan.
He applied for asylum in 2024, and the Trump administration approved his claim in April 2025.
The Department of Homeland Security said all immigration cases involving Afghan nationals are now suspended while security protocols are reviewed.
DHS also said it is reviewing all asylum approvals issued during former President Joe Biden’s administration.
Afghan community groups in the US condemned the shooting but warned against collective punishment.
They said thousands of Afghans who meet legal requirements should not face delays or denials because of one individual’s actions.
More than 190,000 Afghans have resettled in the United States since 2021.
In a video message from Mar-a-Lago, Trump blamed the Biden administration for Lakanwal’s entry into the US.
He said the attack shows what he called the “greatest national security threat” facing the country.
Trump also repeated his claim that more than 20 million “unknown and unvetted foreigners” entered the US during Biden’s term.
The reassessment of green cards aligns with Trump’s broader immigration agenda.
A green card grants lawful permanent residency but is different from refugee or asylum programs, which his administration has already tightened.
Refugees must apply for green cards one year after entering the country.