Green card review ordered for people from 19 countries, says USCIS

The US will reassess every green card issued to nationals from 19 "countries of concern" after Trump ordered tougher scrutiny following a shooting in Washington that injured two National Guard members

The United States will review all green cards issued to people from 19 countries described as “of concern” after President Donald Trump ordered a sweeping reassessment of immigration vetting in the wake of a shooting in Washington, DC that left two National Guard members injured.

 

Joe Edlow, director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), announced the move on Thursday on X. “At the direction of @POTUS, I have directed a full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” said Edlow.

 

The list of 19 countries includes 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.

 

 

What will USCIS now assess?

 

In a later statement, USCIS said that when screening applicants from these countries, officers will also consider “negative, country specific factors,” including whether the country is able “to issue secure identity documents.”

 

The announcement follows the identification of the shooting suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national. Since the revelation, the Trump administration has stepped up steps to tighten entry routes for Afghan citizens and others.

 

Why has Afghan-linked immigration been halted?

 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said all US immigration requests linked to Afghan nationals have been halted.

 

“Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols,” said Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary, in a statement to CNN. She added, “The Trump Administration is also reviewing all asylum cases approved under the Biden Administration.”

 

What concerns are Afghan groups raising?

 

The Alliance of Afghan Communities in the United States condemned the shooting but raised concerns about the broader fallout for Afghans going through immigration procedures.

 

“A single individual’s crime must not jeopardise or obstruct the legal cases of thousands of deserving Afghans who meet all U.S. legal requirements,” the alliance said. The group urged federal agencies to continue processing Afghan cases without delays or suspensions.

 

More than 190,000 Afghans have resettled in the United States since the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, according to the State Department.

 

What has Trump said in his latest address?

 

In a late-night video message from Mar-a-Lago, Trump blamed the Biden administration for allowing the suspect into the country and linked the shooting to wider immigration concerns.

 

He said the attack “underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation.”

 

“We must now reexamine every single alien who’s entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or add benefit to our country,” said Trump.

 

He also repeated his claim that “20 million unknown and unvetted foreigners” entered the US during Biden’s presidency, calling it “a risk to our very survival.”

 

What does a green card signify?

 

A green card recognises an individual as a lawful permanent resident of the United States. It is separate from asylum and refugee systems, though refugees are required to apply for a green card after one year in the country.