By Obinna Uballa
The Donald Trump administration in the United States announced on Thursday a comprehensive review of the immigration status of all permanent residents, or Green Card holders, from Afghanistan and 18 other countries following Wednesday’s shooting targeting National Guard troops in Washington, D.C.
Officials identified the suspect as a 29-year-old Afghan national who had previously worked alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan. The individual was granted asylum earlier this year, not permanent residency, according to AfghanEvac, an organisation assisting Afghans resettled in the United States after the Taliban takeover.
Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), confirmed on X that he had “directed a full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern.”
The review follows a June executive order from President Trump designating 19 countries as “of Identified Concern.” The order includes a full entry ban for nationals of 12 countries:
Afghanistan
Myanmar
Chad
Congo-Brazzaville
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Haiti
Iran
Libya
Somalia
Sudan
Yemen
A partial travel ban applies to seven additional countries – Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela — though some temporary work visas remain allowed.
The administration said the review is part of its heightened focus on national security in the wake of the Washington attack.
