The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it will review the immigration status of all permanent residents, or “Green Card” holders, from Afghanistan and 18 other countries following the 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 previously served alongside American forces in Afghanistan.
The individual was granted asylum earlier this year, rather than permanent residency, according to AfghanEvac, an organisation that assists Afghans resettled in the United States after the Taliban takeover in 2021.
“I have directed a full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” said Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), on X.
The review comes in the wake of a June executive order from President Trump classifying 19 countries as “of Identified Concern.”
The order banned entry for nearly all nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan. The full list of these countries is:
A partial travel ban applies to seven additional countries, although some temporary work visas remain permitted. These countries are: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.