Joseph B. Edlow, the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, announced that these “full scale, rigorous” evaluations are proceeding under the president’s orders. He emphasized that the nation’s security and the protection of American citizens are of utmost importance.

“The safety of the American people is paramount,” Edlow asserted on social media, expressing that the country should not have to deal with the consequences of what he described as the previous administration’s “reckless resettlement policies.”

The countries involved in this reassessment include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela, as reported by CNN.

The 19 countries include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, according to CNN. 

Trump posted to social media late Thursday evening saying he would “terminate all of the millions” of Biden immigrant admissions from “all Third World Countries.” 

The shooter, identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, immigrated to the United States from Afghanistan in 2021, according to law enforcement sources.

The call for additional reexaminations comes after the Citizenship and Immigration office said all Afghan national immigration requests would stop “indefinitely” pending a review of security and vetting protocols. 

Soon after the shooting, Trump said his administration would review everyone who entered from the country under former President Joe Biden — a measure his administration had been planning before the shooting.

In a June executive order, Trump said the U.S. must be “vigilant” while issuing vias. 

“The United States must ensure that admitted aliens and aliens otherwise already present in the United States do not bear hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles, and do not advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists or other threats to our national security,” he wrote. 

Refugee groups fear they’ll now be considered guilty by association.

Ambassador Ashraf Haidari, founder and president of Displaced International, which provides resources, advocacy and support to displaced people worldwide, said there must be a thorough investigation and justice for those who were harmed, “but even as we pursue accountability, one individual’s alleged actions cannot be allowed to define, burden, or endanger entire communities who had no part in this tragedy.”

Matthew Soerens, a vice president with World Relief, a Christian humanitarian organization that helps settle refugees, including Afghan nationals in Whatcom County, Washington, said the person responsible for the shooting should face justice under the law.

“Regardless of the alleged perpetrator’s nationality, religion or specific legal status, though,” he said, “we urge our country to recognize these evil actions as those of one person, not to unfairly judge others who happen to share those same characteristics.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.