The aftermath of a tragic shooting near the White House has thrust U.S. immigration policy back into the national spotlight, as the Trump administration launches a sweeping review of green card holders from 19 countries deemed “of concern.” The move, announced by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow on November 27, 2025, comes just hours after a deadly attack involving a recent Afghan immigrant, reigniting fierce debate over the balance between national security and America’s historic role as a haven for newcomers.
The incident that set these events in motion occurred in Washington, D.C., on November 27, 2025. According to AP and Newsweek, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the United States in 2021 under the Biden administration’s “Operation Allies Welcome” program, allegedly shot two National Guard members. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, tragically lost her life, while Andrew Wolfe, 24, was left critically wounded. Lakanwal, who had applied for asylum in December 2024 and received approval in April 2025 under the Trump administration, now faces multiple charges, including assault with intent to kill and criminal possession of a weapon. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro has stated that Lakanwal will face murder charges, and Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed that prosecutors will seek the death penalty.
The attack sent shockwaves through official Washington. Within hours, President Donald Trump declared that his administration would “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden’s Autopen, and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States.” The president’s remarks, reported by Newsweek, left little doubt that a major policy shift was underway.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow followed suit, announcing a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern.” Edlow emphasized, “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.” In a subsequent statement, he added, “My primary responsibility is to ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible. This includes an assessment of where they are coming from and why. Yesterday’s horrific events make it abundantly clear that the Biden administration spent the last four years dismantling basic vetting and screening standards, prioritizing the rapid resettlement of aliens from high-risk countries over the safety of American citizens. The Trump administration takes the opposite approach.”
The list of countries facing scrutiny is extensive: Afghanistan, Myanmar (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, according to a June proclamation cited by USCIS, are considered to have “deficient vetting and information sharing,” and their governments are often unable to provide reliable data on their citizens. The proclamation further asserts, “Many of these countries have also taken advantage of the United States in their exploitation of our visa system and their historic failure to accept back their removable nationals.”
The new policy is expected to affect a significant number of people. Department of Homeland Security data, reported by Newsweek, indicates that roughly 3.3 million lawful permanent residents (green card holders) in the U.S. hail from the 19 countries singled out for review. This includes over 1 million from Cuba, around 700,000 from Haiti, approximately 400,000 from Iran, and about 500,000 from Venezuela. While the total green card population in the United States is about 12.8 million, this subset represents a substantial portion of the immigrant community, many of whom have lived and worked legally in the country for years.
The ramifications of the administration’s actions are already being felt. According to AP, the Trump administration has suspended all immigration processing related to Afghan nationals indefinitely, pending further review of security and vetting protocols. The future for those who have recently arrived, as well as those awaiting final approval of their green cards, remains deeply uncertain. President Trump has also indicated that his team is evaluating whether to deport Lakanwal’s family, telling reporters, “We’re looking at the whole situation with the family. It’s a tragic situation.”
For many observers, the events have reignited a long-standing debate over the risks and benefits of immigration. While the Trump administration has been quick to link the shooting to what it calls “reckless resettlement policies,” others caution against drawing broad conclusions from isolated incidents. A review of academic work in the Annual Review of Criminology disputes the notion that immigrants are more likely to commit crimes than U.S. residents. It states, “With few exceptions, studies conducted at both the aggregate and individual levels demonstrate that high concentrations of immigrants are not associated with increased levels of crime and delinquency across neighborhoods and cities in the United States.”
Nevertheless, the administration’s response has found support among those who argue that national security must come first. Edlow’s statements have emphasized that “country-specific factors” will now be considered significant negative factors when reviewing immigration requests. As he put it, “American lives come first.” The administration’s supporters contend that the events in Washington, D.C., underscore the need for more robust vetting and a more cautious approach to admitting immigrants from countries with limited capacity for reliable background checks.
On the other hand, critics warn that the new measures risk casting suspicion on millions of law-abiding immigrants and could upend the lives of families who have already built deep roots in American communities. They point out that the vast majority of green card holders from the 19 countries under review have contributed to the economy and society, and that blanket policies may do more harm than good. The uncertainty surrounding the fate of those caught in the policy crosshairs is palpable, with many awaiting further guidance from USCIS and other agencies.
For now, certain exemptions remain in place. The new proclamation clarifies that it “shall not apply to an individual who has been granted asylum by the United States, to a refugee who has already been admitted to the United States, or to an individual granted withholding of removal or protection under the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment of Punishment (CAT).” It further states, “Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to limit the ability of an individual to seek asylum, refugee status, withholding of removal, or protection under the CAT, consistent with the laws of the United States.”
As security agencies continue their assessments and the Trump administration signals its intent to reshape long-standing U.S. immigration programs, the country finds itself at a crossroads. The coming weeks and months will determine not just the fate of millions of immigrants, but also the direction of American immigration policy for years to come.
In the wake of tragedy, the nation faces difficult questions about security, compassion, and the meaning of American identity—questions that will not be easily resolved.
