US To Review Green Cards From 19 Nations: What You Need To Know

The Trump administration has announced a sweeping review of the immigration status of all U.S. permanent residents, commonly known as Green Card holders, from Afghanistan and 18 other designated “countries of concern.” The move comes after an attack targeting 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 with American forces in Afghanistan. According to AfghanEvac, an organisation supporting Afghans resettled in the U.S. after the 2021 Taliban takeover, the suspect had been granted asylum earlier this year, not permanent residency.

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow announced the new review on X, stating: “I have directed a full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern.”

This action builds on a June executive order issued by President Trump, which officially classified 19 countries as “of Identified Concern.”

The order includes a near-total entry ban for nationals from 12 of these countries:

• Afghanistan
• Myanmar
• Chad
• Congo-Brazzaville
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Haiti
• Iran
• Libya
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Yemen

In addition, seven more countries face partial travel restrictions, though some citizens may still qualify for temporary work visas. These nations are:

• Burundi
• Cuba
• Laos
• Sierra Leone
• Togo
• Turkmenistan
• Venezuela

The review marks one of the administration’s most extensive immigration actions to date, raising questions about security, due process, and the implications for long-term U.S. residents from the listed countries.