The Trump administration has directed a comprehensive reexamination of all green cards issued to nationals from 19 countries designated as “of concern” following the deadly shooting of two National Guard members in Washington. Nigeria, recently classified as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) by the Trump administration for religious freedom violations, is not included on the list.
Joseph Edlow, director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), announced the directive on November 27, 2025. He stated on social media platform X that President Donald Trump ordered the full scale, rigorous reexamination of every green card for every individual from every country of concern. Edlow emphasized that American safety is non negotiable and the American people will not bear the cost of the prior administration’s resettlement policies.
The 19 nations identified as countries of concern 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 countries were originally listed in a June 2025 presidential proclamation titled “Restricting the entry of foreign nationals to protect the United States from foreign terrorists and other national security and public security threats.”
USCIS clarified that vetting processes will now consider negative, country specific factors for immigrants from these nations. This includes assessing whether each country can issue secure identity documents. The agency stated that some countries face full entry restrictions while others have partial limitations on their nationals entering the United States.
The administration intensified its immigration crackdown after identifying the suspected shooter as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, a 20 year old West Virginia National Guard member, died from her injuries on November 28, 2025. Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, remained in critical condition as of that date. The shooting occurred Wednesday, November 26, 2025, in what authorities described as an ambush style attack near the White House.
Lakanwal previously worked with the United States government, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He arrived in the country in 2021 through the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome after assisting American forces in Afghanistan. He applied for asylum in 2024, which the Trump administration granted in April 2025. The suspect was shot and seriously wounded by National Guard members during the attack.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees USCIS, announced an immediate indefinite suspension of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals pending further review of security and vetting protocols. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated the Trump administration is also reviewing all asylum cases approved under former President Joe Biden between January 20, 2021, and January 20, 2025.
Earlier in the week, the Trump administration directed immigration officials to review cases of approximately 200,000 refugees admitted under the Biden administration. The memo suggested that refugees’ protections could be stripped based on findings from these reviews. USCIS had already begun pulling files for the reexamination process as of Thursday evening, though no timeline for completion has been provided.
The Alliance of Afghan Communities in the United States condemned the shooting on November 27, 2025, while expressing deep concern over impacts the suspect’s actions would have on immigration processes for other Afghan nationals. The alliance’s statement called for federal agencies to process Afghan immigrants without delays, arguing that a single individual’s crime must not jeopardize or obstruct legal cases of thousands of deserving Afghans who meet all United States legal requirements.
More than 190,000 Afghans have resettled in the United States since the military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, according to the State Department. AfghanEvac, a group involved in relocating at risk Afghans, stated that evacuees undergo some of the most extensive security vetting of any migrant group entering the country.
Trump stated on November 27, 2025, that he will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the United States system to fully recover. He claimed 20 million unknown and unvetted foreigners entered during Biden’s presidency, calling it a risk to the nation’s survival. It remains unclear which specific countries would be affected by such a pause.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced 500 additional troops would deploy to Washington following the shooting, bringing the total National Guard presence to 2,500. Trump has deployed troops to several Democratic controlled cities including Washington, Los Angeles and Memphis. The move has prompted multiple lawsuits and allegations of authoritarian overreach against the White House.
A green card grants lawful permanent residency in the United States. It differs from refugee and asylum programs, though refugees are required to apply for green cards after one year of residency in the country. The designation as a Country of Particular Concern relates specifically to religious freedom violations and operates under separate legislation from the countries of concern list used for immigration vetting.
Nigeria’s October 2025 redesignation as a CPC came after Trump accused the Nigerian government of not adequately protecting Christians from violence. The administration has threatened possible military action and aid cutoffs related to alleged religious persecution. However, Nigeria’s inclusion on the CPC list does not automatically place it on the immigration vetting countries of concern list announced by USCIS.
