The United States government has announced a nationwide review of all Green Cards issued to immigrants from 19 “countries of concern,” following Wednesday’s shooting of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C.
The directive was issued on Thursday by Joseph Edlow, Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), who said the move was part of a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination” of permanent residents originating from nations flagged under a recent security order.
The review comes after officials identified the shooting suspect as a 29-year-old Afghan national who had previously worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Contrary to initial reports, the suspect was an asylum recipient — not a Green Card holder — according to AfghanEvac, a nonprofit assisting Afghans resettled in the U.S. after the 2021 Taliban takeover.
The reassessment is tied to a June executive order issued by President Donald Trump, which designated 19 countries as “of Identified Concern.” The order barred entry for most nationals from 12 of those countries, with limited exceptions.
Countries under the full travel ban include:
- Afghanistan
- Myanmar
- Chad
- Congo-Brazzaville
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
Seven other nations face partial restrictions, allowing some temporary work visas:
- Burundi
- Cuba
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Venezuela
U.S. officials say the review aims to strengthen vetting procedures and address potential security vulnerabilities highlighted by the Washington attack.
