Web desk: The Trump administration announced 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.
US officials have confirmed that the suspect detained in Wednesday’s shooting is an Afghan national who previously worked with American forces in Afghanistan.
US to Review Green Cards
The Trump administration has announced it will review green cards issued to individuals from 19 countries.
Joseph Edlow, head of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said the president had directed a “full-scale, rigorous re-examination of every green card for every alien from every country of concern.”
When asked which countries were included, USCIS referred to a June White House proclamation listing Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, and Venezuela, among others, BBC reports.
The move follows an incident in Washington, DC, when an Afghan national allegedly shot two National Guard troops, leaving both seriously injured.
The 29-year-old suspect was granted asylum and not permanent residency in April this year, according to AfghanEvac. It is an organisation that helped resettle Afghans in the United States after the Taliban’s takeover in 2021.
“I have directed a full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” said Joseph Edlow, director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), on X.
At the direction of @POTUS, I have directed a full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern.
— USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow (@USCISJoe) November 27, 2025
When asked which countries were included, a USCIS spokesperson referred AFP to President Donald Trump’s June executive order classifying 19 countries as “of Identified Concern.” The order had banned entry for almost all nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan.
The 11 other countries facing a travel ban are Myanmar, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
The executive order also imposed a partial ban on travellers from seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Some temporary work visas for individuals from these countries remain allowed.
