The Trump administration is intensifying its immigration enforcement by initiating a review of all green cards issued to individuals from 19 “countries of concern.”
This move by President Donald Trump follows the recent shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC.
Nigeria, which was recently classified as a Country of Particular Concern by the Trump administration, is not part of this review.
Joe Edlow, the director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), announced on X, “At the direction of @POTUS, I have ordered a comprehensive and thorough review of every Green Card issued to every individual from every country of concern.”
The 19 countries labeled as “countries of concern” include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. These countries were initially listed in a presidential proclamation released in June.
USCIS later clarified that the review will now consider “negative, country-specific factors” for immigrants from these nations, including their ability to “issue secure identity documents.”
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The administration has tightened its immigration policies following the identification of the shooting suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, as an Afghan national. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees USCIS, has also announced a review of all asylum cases approved during the previous Biden administration.
Demographic and Health Surveys Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated, “Effective immediately, the processing of all immigration requests related to Afghan nationals is halted indefinitely while we review security and vetting protocols.”
She highlighted the administration’s priorities, adding, “The Trump Administration is also examining all asylum cases approved under the Biden Administration.”
The suspect, who had previously worked with the US government, including the CIA, entered the US in 2021 through the Biden administration’s “Operation Allies Welcome” after aiding the US in Afghanistan. He applied for asylum in 2024, which was granted by the Trump administration in April 2025.
