US President Donald Trump has instructed the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to carry out a thorough review of Green Card holders from 19 countries previously labeled as “countries of concern”. This decision comes after a deadly shooting incident near the White House that resulted in the death of a National Guard member. The attacker, an Afghan national, was linked to Operation Allies Welcome, a program initiated by the Biden administration to settle Afghan allies in the US after the military withdrawal.
Describing the shooting as a terrorist act, President Trump emphasized stronger security measures for immigration. Following his directive, USCIS officers will now consider an applicant’s country of origin as a significant negative factor during immigration status evaluations, regardless of when or which administration approved their Green Card.
The countries affected include Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Cuba, Venezuela, and others. According to USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, this move is meant to strengthen national security by enforcing stricter vetting of immigrants from high-risk nations. He emphasized that protecting American lives remains their top priority.
This new measure aligns with a prior presidential proclamation from June that imposed travel restrictions on the same 19 countries. Though the action does not impact Indian nationals, experts note that it may be part of a broader plan to tighten US immigration policy further.
Trump’s decision was made in response to the shooting involving Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who had served with the US Special Forces during the Afghanistan war. USCIS believes that previous vetting procedures were too lenient and now aims to enforce stricter checks to prevent future threats.
