The Trump administration has ordered a sweeping review of the immigration status of all US permanent residents from Afghanistan and 18 other “countries of concern” following the attack on National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. Officials linked the move to Wednesday’s shooting, in which the suspect was identified as a 29-year-old Afghan national who had previously worked with American forces in Afghanistan.
According to AfghanEvac, an organisation that supports Afghans resettled in the US after the Taliban’s 2021 takeover, the suspect was granted asylum earlier this year rather than a green card. Despite that distinction, authorities said they would now scrutinise all permanent residents from the listed countries as part of a broader security reassessment.
“I have directed a full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” Joseph Edlow, director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, wrote on X. The directive builds on a June executive order by President Donald Trump that formally designated 19 nations as “countries of Identified Concern.”
Under that order, entry to the US is almost entirely banned for nationals of 12 countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The administration argues that citizens of these states pose elevated security risks or come from governments that do not adequately share information with US authorities.
A partial travel ban also applies to seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, with limited exceptions for some temporary work visas. The latest review means existing green-card holders from all 19 nations could face additional vetting to determine whether their status should be revoked or further restricted.
The decision has sparked renewed debate over the balance between national security and immigrant rights. Supporters say tighter checks are necessary after the Washington attack, while critics warn the measures could unfairly target communities already heavily screened before entering the United States.
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