President Donald Trump is using the incident to advance one of the most extensive immigration overhauls of his political career. His administration has begun targeting green card holders from 19 “countries of concern” and is implementing new biometric tracking measures, signaling a major shift in how the U.S. manages immigration and residency.
Green Card Holders Face Retroactive Review
Following the fatal November 27 shooting of National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and the critical injury of Andrew Wolfe by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, immigration authorities moved quickly. Within hours, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) froze all immigration cases involving Afghan nationals and began reviewing past approvals under President Biden’s asylum policies, according to Reuters.
The review, however, extends beyond Afghan refugees. USCIS has reopened green card files for nationals from 19 countries labeled as “of concern” by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These include Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Venezuela, and Libya, among others. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow stated on social media that the agency is conducting a “full scale, rigorous reexamination” of these cases to “ensure the refugee program is not abused.”
According to Homeland Security data, there are approximately 12.8 million lawful permanent residents in the U.S. as of January 2024. While not all are affected, a significant number come from the listed countries and may face suspended processing or reinterviews as their cases are re-examined.
Critics argue the move could destabilize families and communities. Refugee advocates told the Associated Press the retroactive review would “needlessly retraumatize refugees who have survived unimaginable horrors,” pointing out that many have jobs, mortgages, and U.S.-born children.
Biometric Surveillance Expands to All Noncitizens
At the same time, DHS is finalizing a rule that will make biometric entry and exit procedures mandatory for nearly all noncitizens crossing U.S. borders. The rule, titled “Collection of Biometric Data From Aliens Upon Entry to and Departure From the United States”, is set to take effect on December 26, 2025.
The policy introduces broad use of facial recognition, fingerprints, iris scans, and in some cases, DNA collection. Unlike previous pilot programs, this system will now include green card holders, tourists, students, and even children and elderly travelers. Refusal to comply may result in denied entry or boarding.
DHS claims the system will improve tracking of visa overstays, which the Office of Homeland Security Statistics estimates account for around 42% of the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently in the country. Supporters say the data will close critical gaps in border control.
Civil liberties groups remain unconvinced. The Electronic Frontier Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have both raised concerns over surveillance, racial bias, and lack of transparency. Legal experts expect challenges. Trump’s first-term travel ban survived only after several revisions and a 2018 Supreme Court ruling. The current review process and the “permanent pause” in migration from so-called “Third World countries” are likely to face renewed constitutional scrutiny on grounds of due process and equal protection.
The real test may lie in public acceptance. For many immigrants who believed their legal status was final, this shift sends a stark message: permanence in U.S. immigration policy is increasingly conditional, and subject to change.
