One shooting suspect’s background just triggered a sweeping reexamination of green cards affecting hundreds of thousands of people from nineteen countries, raising hard questions about whether security concerns should override individual due process.
Quick Take
- The Trump administration announced a full-scale reexamination of all green cards issued to individuals from 19 designated countries following a DC shooting by an Afghan national
- An indefinite halt on processing all immigration requests from Afghan nationals is now in effect pending security review
- The policy retroactively reviews asylum cases approved under the Biden administration and applies country-specific factors to vetting decisions
- Over 190,000 Afghan residents and unknown numbers from 18 other countries face potential loss of permanent resident status
A Single Incident Triggers Massive Policy Shift
On November 26, 2025, two National Guard members were shot in Washington, DC. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was identified as an Afghan national who arrived in the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome following the military withdrawal from Afghanistan. What happened next moved with striking speed. Within hours, the Trump administration announced it would reexamine every single green card issued to individuals from nineteen countries of concern. Joe Edlow, director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, stated the directive came directly from President Trump: “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 Scope Extends Far Beyond One Suspect
The nineteen countries now subject to green card reexamination 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 originally designated as countries of concern in a June presidential proclamation, suggesting the framework existed before the DC incident. The indefinite halt on processing Afghan national immigration requests means thousands of pending applications face delays with no clear timeline for resolution. The Department of Homeland Security announced it would now consider “negative, country specific factors” in vetting procedures, including whether countries can issue secure identity documents.
The policy’s retroactive nature distinguishes it from standard immigration procedures. The administration is reviewing all asylum cases approved under former President Joe Biden, applying new scrutiny to decisions already made and legally finalized. This represents a departure from established immigration law, which typically protects approved permanent resident status from arbitrary reexamination.
The Human Cost of Collective Action
More than 190,000 Afghans have resettled in the United States since August 2021, according to the State Department. These individuals came through official government channels, many having assisted American forces during the military withdrawal. The Alliance of Afghan Communities in the United States issued a statement acknowledging the shooting while expressing concern about collective punishment: “A single individual’s crime must not jeopardize or obstruct the legal cases of thousands of deserving Afghans who meet all U.S. legal requirements.” Their plea for individual case-by-case evaluation reflects the tension between security concerns and due process principles.
National Security Framing Justifies Broad Action
President Trump framed the policy as essential to national survival. In a video address from Mar-a-Lago, he stated: “We must now reexamine every single alien who’s entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or add benefit to our country.” Trump characterized immigration as “the single greatest national security threat facing our nation” and referenced what he described as “20 million unknown and unvetted foreigners” who entered during the Biden administration.
Implications for Hundreds of Thousands
The policy creates immediate uncertainty for green card holders from affected countries. Individuals who obtained permanent resident status through standard vetting procedures now face reexamination based on country of origin. Employment, family stability, and business investments made under the assumption of permanent residency now carry legal risk. The indefinite halt on Afghan immigration processing affects not just new applicants but also pending family reunification cases and employment-based immigration requests.
The technology, healthcare, and professional services sectors employ significant numbers of skilled immigrants from these countries. Workforce disruptions could follow if green cards are revoked. The policy also signals a broader pattern of retroactive immigration review, suggesting that previous administrations’ decisions will face systematic reexamination regardless of legal finality.
