This decision by the administration was a result of an incident that occurred in Washington, where a citizen of Afghanistan was arrested on suspicion of a shooting that left two National Guard members seriously injured. One of the injured, Sarah Beckstrom, later died in the hospital. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, immigrated to the U.S. in 2021 under a program that provides special protection for Afghans following the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan.
In response to questions from BBC journalists about the countries that will be subject to the review, USCIS referred to a presidential directive issued by Trump in June, which restricted entry for citizens of 12 countries located in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, as well as for citizens of seven other states.
President Trump noted that this incident underscores a serious threat to national security. In his social media message, Edlow did not mention the specific incident but emphasized the importance of protecting the American people.
“Ensuring the safety of this country and its citizens is our priority, and the American people should not bear the consequences of the reckless immigration policies of the previous administration,” Edlow added.
