(Image source from: REUTERS)
US President Donald Trump has instructed a wide examination of asylum applications that were approved during former President Joe Biden's term and Green Cards granted to people from 19 nations, according to officials from the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday. This decision followed US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) revealing new rules that tighten screening standards after an Afghan man who came to the US in 2021 shot two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow stated that this new policy would enable officials to view an applicant's home nation as a major negative aspect when evaluating immigration benefits. “It is my main duty to make sure every non-citizen is thoroughly checked and screened,” Edlow mentioned. “The safety of Americans is our top priority.”
Officials indicated that the 19 nations involved are the same ones included in a presidential announcement from June that imposed complete or partial entry bans: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Edlow explained that the new rules are a direct reaction to the tragic incident from yesterday and claimed that the Biden administration had spent four years weakening essential vetting and screening standards while focusing on quick resettlement from countries considered high-risk. The 29-year-old accused, Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, arrived in the US in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden program that helped evacuate and settle many Afghans after the US left Afghanistan. The revised policy directs USCIS officials to take into account factors such as whether the applicant's country can issue secure identification documents or assist with background checks. Officials assert that this modification reinforces the enforcement of Trump's national security order, PP 10949, which limits entry for foreign individuals regarded as potential dangers.
The new guidance is effective immediately and applies to all applications pending or submitted on or after November 27, 2025. The unusual shooting of National Guard members, occurring the day before Thanksgiving, coincides with ongoing debates regarding the military’s presence in the capital and other cities nationwide, having sparked legal battles and broader discussions about the Trump administration's use of armed forces to tackle what officials describe as an escalating crime issue, as reported by The Associated Press.
