National Guard members remain on patrol in Washington after the shooting. (Reuters: Nathan Howard)
In short:
The US is conducting "a full-scale, rigorous re-examination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern," specifically who entered the country under Joe Biden's presidency.
This move is an escalation after Homeland Security initially said it had halted Afghan asylum applications after the shooting of two soldiers in Washington.
There are about 233,000 refugees who entered the US during the Biden administration.
The United States is reviewing all asylum cases approved under former president Joe Biden, according to two government agencies, in an escalation after initially saying it would examine Afghan-specific cases.
The move comes a day after two National Guard troops — Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe — were shot while on patrol in Washington.
The suspect, a 29-year-old Afghan national, who entered the US in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, has been charged with assault with intent to kill while armed, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) director Joseph B Edlow said under Donald Trump's direction, he had "directed a full-scale, rigorous re-examination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern".
"The protection of this country and of the American people remains paramount, and the American people will not bear the cost of the prior administration's reckless resettlement policies," he said.
The order would apply to about 233,000 refugees who entered between January 20, 2021, and February 20, 2025, according to a memo from USICS.
FBI Director Kash Patel and Jeanine Pirro, the US Attorney for the District of Columbia, said during a press conference on Thursday local time that the Biden administration had failed to conduct adequate background checks or vetting on Rahmanullah Lakanwal before allowing him to enter the US in 2021.
Neither official provided any evidence to support their assertion.
"Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols," department spokesperson Tricia Mclaughlin said.
"The Trump Administration is also reviewing all asylum cases approved under the Biden Administration, which failed to vet these applicants on a massive scale."
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Memo issued last week
On November 21, a week before the shooting in Washington, USCIS sent a memo signed by its director, Mr Edlow, to all staff titled Review of Certain Refugees Admitted to the United States.
The memo said the agency would terminate the refugee status of people already in the US if they were found to not meet refugee criteria.
It claimed the Biden administration potentially prioritised expediency, quantity, and admissions over quality interviews and detailed screening and vetting.
"Given these concerns, USCIS has determined that a comprehensive review and a re-interview of all refugees admitted from January 20, 2021, to February 20, 2025, is warranted," the memo stated.
"When appropriate, USCIS will also review and re-interview refugees admitted outside this timeframe."
FBI Director Mr Patel said after the shooting that "the prior administration made the decision to allow thousands of people into this country without doing a single piece of background checking or vetting".