The Trump administration has announced a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination” of Green Cards issued to immigrants in those designated “countries of concern,” in a major policy shift following the shooting of two National Guard service members by an Afghan national near the White House.

The directive was confirmed today by USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, who said the action was taken at the request of U.S. President Donald 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,” Edlow wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. He added that protection of the American people “remains paramount” and sharply criticized the previous administration for having “reckless resettlement policies.”

Incident That Triggered The Policy

The policy change comes in the wake of a tragic incident on Wednesday near the White House:

The Attack: Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal opened fire, striking two National Guard service members. U.S. Army specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was killed and U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition.

Perpetrator’s Status: Lakanwal initially entered the U.S. in 2021 as part of an evacuation and resettlement program instituted under the Joe Biden administration following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Subsequently, his asylum status was granted after Trump had already assumed the presidency.

Who Will Be Affected By The Crackdown?

New policy guidance will allow USCIS officials to consider country-specific factors as they review immigration requests, particularly in the case of 19 designated ‘high-risk countries.

Countries of Concern: The countries included in the list are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Burundi, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen.

Effect on Indians: The crackdown on Green Card holders will have no bearing on Indians living in the United States since India is not one of the countries of concern. The new policy guidance is effective immediately and applies to all immigration requests pending or filed on or after Nov. 27. Green Cards, or Permanent Residence Cards, grant holders legal resident status and a path to U.S. citizenship.