US Ramps up Green Card Reviews after Washington DC Shooting

After the shooting of National Guard troops by an Afghan man, the Trump administration says the review of residency permits given to immigrants from 19 countries is needed to protect national security.

The Trump administration has ordered a full review of permanent residency status — so-called "Green Cards" — of immigrants from 19 countries, in the wake of the attack on two US National Guard personnel in Washington, DC.

An Afghan national who entered the US in 2021 after working with American military and intelligence services in Afghanistan has been arrested in connection with Wednesday's shooting near the White House.

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump confirmed the death of one of the two National Guard members who was shot.

Joseph Edlow, director of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said on X: "I have directed a full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern."

The Trump administration on Wednesday had already halted the processing of immigration applications from Afghanistan in the wake of the shooting.

Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Libya, Yemen, Cuba, Venezuela among Countries Listed

The full-scale review of residency status, at the behest of President Donald Trump and carried out by the USCIS, comes after the suspect from Wednesday's shooting was identified as Afghan national Rahmanullah L.

The 19 countries under scrutiny were named in a June proclamation, which had initially imposed entry restrictions on nationals from states deemed deficient in screening and vetting protocols.

The 19 countries include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

Critics warn the policy risks penalizing hundreds of thousands of lawful permanent residents based solely on nationality.

Whether the review will lead to revocations or deportations remains unclear. For now, the administration frames it as a protective measure aimed at national security in light of the DC attack.

Trump Says He Will Suspend Migration after Washington Shooting

Later on Thursday, Trump said he would "permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries."

He said the move would allow the US to reverse the effects of the migration policy of his predecessor Joe Biden, including the special visa program for Afghans who had worked with the US in Afghanistan before the Taliban returned to power.

Trump also said he would "remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States" and "end all Federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens of our Country, denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization."