Trump Orders Major Review of Green Card Holders from Afghanistan, 18 Other Nations After Washington Shooting
Fresh scrutiny on immigrants from Afghanistan and 18 nations as White House attack triggers policy tightening
US, Nov 28 : US President Donald Trump has ordered a sweeping re-evaluation of Green Card holders from Afghanistan and 18 other countries following Wednesday’s shooting near the White House. The directive comes just a day after he suspended all immigration applications from Afghanistan.
USCIS director Joseph Edlow said he had initiated “a full-scale, rigorous re-examination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” acting on Trump’s instructions. India is not on this list; among South Asian nations, only Afghanistan is included.
White House shooting prompts crackdown
The policy shift follows the shooting by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who opened fire near the White House, critically injuring two National Guard soldiers. One of them, Sarah Beckstrom, died on Thursday. Lakanwal, who was also wounded, is in custody.
In response, Trump said, “We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan.” That statement has now expanded into a broader national-security directive targeting several hundred thousand Green Card holders from 19 countries.
Who is on the watch list
The nations, placed on a watch list in June, are: Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Togo, Turkmenistan, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Myanmar, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Chad, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Venezuela and Afghanistan.
How the new review alters immigration evaluations
Officials noted that visa processing from these countries had already been limited due to challenges in reliable background checks. Lakanwal had entered the U.S. under a special programme for Afghans who aided American agencies during the Taliban takeover, including work with the CIA.
Edlow criticised the previous administration, stating, “Yesterday’s horrific events make it abundantly clear the Biden administration dismantled basic vetting and screening standards, prioritising rapid resettlement from high risk countries over the safety of American citizens.”
Under the new guidance, immigration officers have been instructed to treat “country-specific factors as significant negative factors” in Green Card evaluations, marking one of the most expansive tightening measures in recent years.
