Trump Administration Launches Comprehensive Review of Green Cards from 19 Countries Following DC Shooting Incident

The Trump administration has announced plans to conduct a comprehensive review of the immigration status of all permanent residents or "Green Card" holders from Afghanistan and 18 other nations following an attack on National Guard troops in Washington.

Officials have identified the suspect in Wednesday's shooting incident as an Afghan national who previously collaborated with American forces in Afghanistan.

According to AfghanEvac, an organization that assisted in resettling Afghans in the United States after the Taliban took control in 2021, the 29-year-old suspect was granted asylum—not permanent residency—in April this year.

"I have directed a full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern," stated Joseph Edlow, director of the US Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS), in a post on X.

When asked to clarify which countries Edlow was referencing, a USCIS spokesperson directed AFP to President Donald Trump's June executive order that classified 19 countries as "of Identified Concern."

This executive order prohibited entry for almost all nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan.

The 11 additional countries facing travel restrictions are: Myanmar, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

Trump also implemented partial travel bans for citizens from seven other nations: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Some temporary work visas from these countries are still permitted.