Trump orders sweeping review of Green Cards after Afghan suspect shoots two National Guard members near White House

President Donald Trump has ordered the immigration agency to conduct a sweeping review of green card holders from what the administration terms “countries of concern,” US Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow said Thursday(November 27). USCIS did not immediately clarify which nations fall under the “countries of concern” designation.

Additionally, the administration announced an indefinite halt on all immigration requests involving Afghan nationals.

“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,” USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said. Edlow emphasized that national security “remains paramount,” adding that “the American people will not shoulder the consequences of the previous administration’s reckless resettlement policies.”


The directive follows a shooting near the White House that left two National Guard members in critical condition. Federal prosecutors say the suspect, an Afghan national who previously aided US forces, entered the country through the Operation Allies Welcome program launched during the Biden administration after the 2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Who is the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal?

The suspect has been identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the US in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome. According to Ratcliffe, he previously served in a partner force in Kandahar alongside American troops.

He was admitted to the US under the Biden administration’s 2021 Afghan resettlement program.

Attorney Jeanine Pirro said her office is reviewing the suspect’s immigration history and the vetting process that permitted his entry. According to NBC News website, the suspect was granted asylum this year.

Two West Virginia National Guard members, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, remain in critical condition.