Shooting of National Guard Members Sparks Review of Green Cards and Asylum Cases
The Trump administration announced on Thursday its plan to conduct a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination” of all green cards issued to immigrants from what they term “countries of concern”. This follows the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. An Afghan national, who arrived in the U.S. in 2021, is suspected in the attack.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow revealed that President Trump requested this order, targeting 19 countries, including Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, and Venezuela.
Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, were shot near the White House on Wednesday in what authorities described as an “ambush-style attack”. Both are hospitalized in critical condition.
The suspected shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, was shot by a National Guard member and faces charges including assault with intent to kill while armed. He entered the U.S. under a Biden-era program for Afghan nationals called Operation Allies Welcome in 2021 and his asylum case was approved earlier this year.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin stated they are reviewing all asylum cases approved under the Biden administration. This comes after the Trump administration previously paused immigration processing requests from Afghan nationals following the shooting.
President Trump addressed the incident, calling it an “act of evil and an act of hatred and an act of terror”. He promised to “reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden” and take necessary measures for removal.
This move is part of a wider effort by the Trump administration to review cases of refugees admitted during the Biden presidency, looking for potential disqualifying factors.