The Trump administration announced Thursday it will review the immigration status of all permanent residents, or Green Card holders, from Afghanistan and 18 other countries following a recent 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 in Afghanistan.
However, AfghanEvac, an organization supporting Afghans resettled in the United States after the Taliban takeover in 2021, clarified that the individual had been granted asylum earlier this year and did not hold permanent residency status.
Joseph Edlow, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said the government would carry out a comprehensive reassessment of Green Card holders from nations classified as “countries of concern.”
In a post on X, he stated that a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination” would be conducted to ensure compliance with U.S. immigration standards.
The move follows a June executive order that designated 19 countries as being of identified concern.
Under the directive, the administration imposed a near-total entry ban on nationals from 12 countries:
- Afghanistan
- Myanmar
- Chad
- Congo-Brazzaville
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- And Yemen
A partial travel ban applies to seven additional countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
While some temporary work visas remain permissible, tighter scrutiny will apply to migrants and residents from these nations.
Officials said the review aims to reinforce national security measures and ensure that permanent residency status is granted only to individuals who meet strict legal requirements.
The action has drawn concern from immigrant advocacy groups, who warn against policies that could unfairly target long-established residents and vulnerable communities.
