James ObasiFull List: US Announces Review of Green Card Applications From 19 ‘Countries of Concern’ Following Washington Shooting
The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it will review the immigration status of all permanent residents, or “Green Card” holders, from Afghanistan and 18 other countries following the attack on 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 alongside American forces in Afghanistan. According to AfghanEvac, an organisation supporting Afghans resettled in the U.S. after the Taliban takeover in 2021, the individual was granted asylum earlier this year, not permanent residency.
“I have directed a full-scale, rigorous review of every Green Card issued to nationals from every country of concern,” said Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), on X. The review follows a June executive order from President Trump that classified 19 countries as “of Identified Concern.”
The executive order previously restricted entry for nearly all nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan. The full list of these countries is:
- Afghanistan
- Myanmar
- Chad
- Congo-Brazzaville
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
A partial travel ban also applies to seven additional countries, though certain temporary work visas remain allowed. These countries are Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
