Trumpโs green card scrutiny: The decision comes after an attack on National Guard troops in Washington, in which one soldier was killed and another critically injured.
The Trump administration on Thursday ordered a major review of the immigration status of all Green Card holders from Afghanistan and 18 other countries. The decision comes after an attack on National Guard troops in Washington, in which one soldier was killed and another critically injured. US officials said the suspect arrested in Wednesdayโs shooting is a 29-year-old Afghan national who had previously worked with American forces in Afghanistan. The man was reportedly granted asylum, not a Green Card, earlier this year in April.
โAt the direction of POTUS, I have directed a full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,โ announced US Citizienship and Immigration Services (USCIS) director.
Which 19 countries face Trumpโs green card scrutiny?
According to the executive order, 12 countries face near-total entry bans which are, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Seven other countries including Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela face partial restrictions that still allow some temporary work visas.
Edlow said the new screening will be extensive. He noted that the decision follows the attack on National Guard members last Thursday.
He reiterated the administrationโs stance in another statement on X, โThe protection of this country and of the American people remains paramount, and the American people will not bear the cost of the prior administrationโs reckless resettlement policies. American safety is non negotiable,โ he added.
The reassessment is expected to affect thousands of permanent residents from the listed countries.