Trump administration will re-examine green card holders from 19 countries

November 27, 2025

The Trump administration has announced a comprehensive review of green cards held by immigrants from 19 nations deemed security concerns, including Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, and Venezuela. This initiative, directed by US Citizenship and Immigration Services head Joseph Edlow, follows a shooting incident in Washington DC where an Afghan national who arrived through a special 2021 immigration program allegedly wounded two National Guard members. The administration has justified the review by citing inadequate vetting procedures from the previous government and security concerns related to these countries, including unstable governance and terrorist presence.

Who is affected

Green card holders from 19 countries including Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, Venezuela, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, and Libya
Afghan nationals whose immigration requests have been suspended
Refugees admitted under former President Joe Biden's administration
The two National Guard troops injured in Wednesday's shooting
Afghan immigrants who came to the US in 2021 under special immigration protections following America's withdrawal from Afghanistan

What action is being taken

US Citizenship and Immigration Services is conducting a comprehensive re-examination of every green card from immigrants from the 19 designated countries
The US has suspended processing all immigration requests from Afghans
The agency is reviewing all refugees admitted under former President Joe Biden

Why it matters

This represents a significant shift in US immigration policy that affects thousands of legal permanent residents who already underwent vetting processes to obtain their green cards. The broad review signals heightened security concerns within the Trump administration and could potentially result in revocation of lawful immigration status for individuals from these countries. The policy also demonstrates how a single violent incident can trigger sweeping immigration enforcement changes that impact entire national communities, setting precedent for how future security incidents might influence immigration policy.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC