The United States Government has announced that it will carry out a review of the immigration status of all permanent residents, also known as “Green Card” holders, from Afghanistan and 18 other countries following the attack on National Guard personnel in Washington, D.C.
The Trump Administration made the announcement on Thursday, confirming that the move is linked to the shooting incident that occurred on Wednesday. According to U.S. officials, the suspect involved in the attack is a 29-year-old Afghan national who had formerly worked with American forces in Afghanistan. AfghanEvac, an organisation that supports Afghans resettled in the United States after the Taliban regained control in 2021, stated that the individual had been granted asylum earlier this year and did not hold permanent residency.
Joseph Edlow, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said on X, “I have directed a full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern.”
The announcement follows a June executive order issued by President Trump, which categorised 19 countries as “of Identified Concern.” Under the directive, nearly all nationals from 12 of those countries, including Afghanistan, were barred from entering the United States.
The complete list of these countries includes: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
A restricted travel policy is also in place for seven additional countries, although certain temporary work visas are still permitted. These countries are Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
