Washington, D.C. — The Trump administration has announced a comprehensive re-evaluation of Green Cards issued to migrants from 19 countries identified as “nations of concern.” The move follows President Donald Trump’s directive to tighten security screenings for immigrants already residing in the United States.
Joseph Edlow, head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), stated that the president instructed him to conduct a “full and strict review of every Green Card issued to foreign nationals arriving from countries that pose security concerns for the United States.”
When questioned about the list of these countries, USCIS referenced a June White House announcement naming Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, and Venezuela among the flagged nations. Additional countries include Myanmar, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Libya, with the remaining nations expected to fall under similar scrutiny.
The decision comes a day after a violent incident outside the White House, where an Afghan national allegedly opened fire on two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C. One soldier tragically lost her life, while the second remains critically injured.
The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, arrived in the U.S. in 2021 under a special immigration program created during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, aimed at relocating vulnerable Afghan citizens.
President Trump described the attack as proof of a “major national security threat,” emphasizing the need for rigorous checks on immigration programs established under the previous administration.
Although Edlow’s social media announcement about Green Card reviews did not directly reference the shooting, he asserted that safeguarding the country remains the administration’s top priority. “The American people will not bear the consequences of the previous administration’s reckless resettlement policies,” he added.
The expanded review indicates that Green Card holders from all 19 countries—many of which have faced internal conflict, instability, or strained relations with the U.S.—will undergo renewed security screening as part of the administration’s intensified immigration enforcement measures.
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