The United States has launched a sweeping review of green cards issued to immigrants from 19 designated “countries of concern,” following the recent shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC.

The directive was issued by President Donald Trump, marking yet another step in the administration’s tightened immigration policies. Despite earlier being listed as a “Country of Particular Concern,” Nigeria is not affected by this new review.

Joe Edlow, Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), confirmed the development on X, saying:

“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.”

The 19 Countries on the List

The countries flagged include:
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.

These nations were initially identified in a June presidential proclamation.

USCIS further clarified that the renewed vetting will consider “negative, country-specific factors,” such as whether a country can provide secure and reliable identity documents for its citizens.

Trigger for the Review

The move follows the identification of the DC shooting suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the U.S. under the Biden-era “Operation Allies Welcome” program after assisting American agencies, including the CIA.

Lakanwal applied for asylum in 2024 and was granted approval in April 2025 under the Trump administration.

In immediate response, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ordered a halt on all immigration-related requests involving Afghan nationals. 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.”

She added that the administration is also reassessing all asylum cases approved during President Biden’s tenure.

Concerns From the Afghan Community

The Alliance of Afghan Communities in the United States condemned the shooting but expressed strong concern over the potential impact on innocent Afghans.

The group urged federal authorities not to allow “a single individual’s crime” to derail or delay thousands of legitimate immigration cases.

According to the U.S. State Department, more than 190,000 Afghans have resettled in the country since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.

Green Card Review vs. Refugee/Asylum Programs

A green card offers lawful permanent residency, but it is separate from refugee and asylum programs—though refugees must apply for a green card after one year in the U.S.

The Trump administration has already been taking steps to reduce admissions under those humanitarian programs.