The United States government under President Donald Trump has announced a major review of the immigration status of all permanent residents, popularly known as Green Card holders, from Afghanistan and 18 other countries, following an attack on National Guard troops in Washington, D.C.
U.S. officials identified the suspect in Wednesday’s shooting as a 29-year-old Afghan national who had previously worked alongside American forces during U.S. military operations in Afghanistan.
Naijaonpoint reports that the suspect was granted asylum earlier this year, not permanent residency, according to AfghanEvac, as clarified by the organisation that assists Afghans resettled in the U.S. following the civilian takeover by the Taliban in 2021.
The Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, confirmed the decision during a post on 𝕏 on Thursday, stating that the audit would cover all designated countries of concern.
“I have directed a full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” Edlow said.
The move follows a June executive order signed by President Trump, which classified 19 countries as nations of Identified Concern.
Full Ban And Partial Ban Countries
Naijaonpoint reports that the executive order blocked entry for nearly all nationals from 12 of the 19 countries, including Afghanistan.
The countries under full entry ban are:
Green Card holders originally from these countries will now have their status reviewed as part of the new immigration audit:
- Afghanistan
- Myanmar
- Chad
- Congo-Brazzaville
- Equatorial Guinea
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
A partial immigration ban applies to seven other countries, though temporary work visas were still permitted under special clauses.
These countries will also undergo review for permanent residents:
- Burundi
- Cuba
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Venezuela
- Venezuela
The White House and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services have not publicly revealed the specific matters under investigation or the expected timeline for the review process.
However, the administration hinted that the audit may extend to additional visa or residency cases tied to national interest and troop safety.
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