Joseph Edlow, Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), announced on 27/11 that President Donald Trump had directed him to "conduct a large-scale, rigorous review of green cards for all foreign nationals from countries of concern".

USCIS cited an executive order issued by President Trump in June to identify the 19 countries, which include Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, Venezuela, and several African nations.

These countries were placed on the US list due to alleged "deficient vetting and screening standards" or high visa overstay rates, posing security risks or threats to public safety.

Edlow affirmed that protecting national security is a top priority, aiming to safeguard American citizens from the consequences of the previous administration's risky immigration policies. However, the official did not specify how the review of green cards issued to citizens of these 19 countries would be conducted.

Police patrol outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Chicago, Illinois, on 21/11. Photo: AP

The decision to conduct the review was announced after a shooting on 26/11 near the White House, where two West Virginia National Guard members were attacked while on patrol. President Trump confirmed on the night of 27/11 that soldier Sarah Beckstrom, 20, had died, while Andrew Wolfe, 24, remained in critical condition.

The suspect was identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national residing in Washington state. Lakanwal had served 10 years in the Afghan army and assisted US special forces before immigrating to the US in 2021 under the "Allies Welcome" program.

Lakanwal was granted asylum in April. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) confirmed the suspect had worked with "US government partner forces" in Kandahar, Afghanistan, prior to 2021.

President Trump condemned the attack as an act of terrorism and announced additional National Guard deployments to the capital to tighten security. The US government also indefinitely halted all immigration applications related to Afghan citizens and called for a review of all asylum applications approved during former President Joe Biden's administration.

Thanh Danh (According to BBC, USA Today, NBC)