US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced on Thursday that it will begin factoring in applicants’ countries of origin as part of its national security review — a shift that could affect decisions on green cards, asylum, refugee resettlement, and other immigration benefits.
The policy change, effective immediately, allows USCIS officers to treat country-specific factors as significant negative considerations in determining whether an individual poses a threat to public safety or national security. It applies to pending and newly filed immigration cases from 19 countries deemed “high-risk,” according to agency officials.
The decision follows Wednesday’s fatal shooting of a National Guard member near the White House. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, is an Afghan national who entered the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a program that resettled Afghans who had worked with US forces during the war.
“This includes an assessment of where they are coming from and why,” said USCIS Director Joseph Edlow in a statement. “American lives come first.”
The updated policy builds on Presidential Proclamation 10949, signed earlier this year by President Donald Trump, which restricts the entry of foreign nationals believed to pose national security threats. The guidance explicitly authorizes immigration officers to consider the stability of an applicant’s home country, its document integrity standards, and any known terror activity as part of the discretionary review process.
While USCIS did not publish the full list of countries subject to the new vetting standard, similar lists under previous administrations have included Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, and Yemen — nations often cited for limited governmental control or presence of extremist networks.
Edlow accused the Biden administration of weakening national security protections by expediting Afghan resettlement in the aftermath of the 2021 US withdrawal from Kabul. “Yesterday’s horrific events make it abundantly clear the Biden administration spent the last four years dismantling basic vetting and screening standards,” he said.
The shooting suspect, Lakanwal, was previously affiliated with a CIA-backed paramilitary unit in Afghanistan, according to officials. He is facing multiple felony charges, and one of the two National Guard members injured in the attack later died.
The new guidance may influence decisions on lawful permanent residency (green cards) and other long-term immigration statuses, adding an additional layer of scrutiny for applicants from designated countries, even those who have passed standard background checks.
The Department of Homeland Security has not released further details on the implementation timeline or whether similar country-specific restrictions will be applied to future refugee admissions.
