WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal officials are launching a sweeping review of immigration records after a shooting near the White House left two National Guard members critically injured and reignited the administration’s focus on migrants from countries it considers security risks. President Donald Trump ordered U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to reexamine every green card issued to individuals from 19 nations identified internally as “countries of concern,” though the list has not been publicly released. The directive followed Wednesday’s shooting that later claimed the life of Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and left Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, hospitalized.
Federal prosecutors say the suspect, a 29-year-old Afghan national, arrived in the U.S. under Operation Allies Welcome and was granted asylum earlier this year. The administration responded by freezing all Afghan-related immigration requests as agencies review past approvals. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said the effort reflects heightened national-security priorities.
Hours after Beckstrom’s death, Trump announced on Truth Social that he would “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries,” expand denaturalization reviews, restrict federal benefits for noncitizens, and scrutinize Biden-era asylum cases. Economists warn mass deportations could affect millions of jobs held by foreign-born workers, while recent research continues to show immigrants commit crimes at significantly lower rates than U.S.-born residents.
Officials have not linked the broader policy actions directly to the shooting, but the incident has accelerated the administration’s focus on migrants resettled after the Afghanistan withdrawal.
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