President Donald Trump has ordered a review of all green card holders who hail from more than a dozen “countries of concern.”
The order comes a day after authorities say a green card holder opened fire at National Guard soldiers near the White House, killing U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and critically injuring another.
“I have directed a full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow said Thursday afternoon in a statement on X.
Edlow, a Trump appointee who was confirmed by the Senate in July, said the review was a direct order from the president.
He continued, “The protection of this country and of the American people remains paramount, and the American people will not bear the cost of the prior administration’s reckless resettlement policies. American safety is non-negotiable.”
Asked for clarity on which countries are considered a “concern,” USCIS pointed to a June presidential proclamation that listed 19 countries. It includes Afghanistan, the birthplace of Wednesday’s suspect, who is now in custody. Reports say the suspect was evacuated after the U.S. military withdrew from the country in 2021.
Authorities identified the suspected shooter as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal. He was granted asylum in the U.S. in April, months into Trump’s presidency.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Thursday that she would review Lakanwal’s immigration history and the vetting process that granted him entry into the United States.
Other “countries of concern” include: Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Cuba, Burundi, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Over 14 million people in the United States hold green cards, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Trump announced the death of Beckstrom in an address on Thanksgiving night. She was listed as in critical condition on Wednesday, but her dad told The New York Times on Thanksgiving morning that she suffered a “mortal wound” and would not survive.
“She’s just passed away,” Trump said. “She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now.”
Trump, who spent the holiday at Mar-a-Lago, has not addressed the green card review himself.
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