US Says Green Cards From 19 Countries Will Be Reviewed After Deadly Shooting

The US government has announced it will reexamine all green cards issued to nationals from 19 countries following a deadly shooting in Washington, DC. 

The review targets immigrants from countries labeled “of concern,” including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, and Venezuela.

The decision comes after Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, allegedly shot and killed two National Guard members in Washington. Lakanwal had previously worked with the US government, including the CIA, and entered the US in 2021 under the Biden administration’s “Operation Allies Welcome.” He was granted asylum in April 2025.

Joe Edlow, director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said on X that the review will be a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern.”

The 19 countries listed by USCIS 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. 

Officials said the review will consider “negative, country-specific factors,” including the ability of a country to issue secure identity documents.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also halted processing of all Afghan immigration requests indefinitely, pending a review of security and vetting protocols. DHS is reviewing all asylum cases approved under the Biden administration.

The Alliance of Afghan Communities in the US warned against punishing an entire community for the actions of one person, noting that over 190,000 Afghans have legally resettled in the country since 2021.

President Donald Trump blamed the Biden administration for the attack, claiming it highlighted a major national security risk. He said the US must review all aliens from Afghanistan and other countries of concern to ensure they do not pose a threat.

The green card review is part of a broader immigration policy shift, which also includes new deportation agreements with countries like Honduras and Uganda to accept migrants who are not their nationals.