The Trump administration said it would review green cards issued to people who immigrated to the United States from 19 countries.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Commissioner Joseph Edlow said the president has directed him to conduct a “full and thorough re-examination of every green card for every alien from every country of concern.”
When asked by the BBC which countries were included in the list, the agency pointed to June White House statement these included Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Somalia and Venezuela.
The announcement comes after an Afghan national allegedly shot two National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, seriously wounding them both.
The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, came to the United States in 2021 under a program that offered special immigration protection to Afghans following the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan.
President Donald Trump said the shooting underscored the grave threat to national security.
Edlow's social media post Thursday about a sweeping overhaul of green cards made no mention of the attack.
“Protecting this country and the American people remains a top priority, and the American people will not suffer the consequences of the previous administration's reckless resettlement policies,” Edlow said.
There were no details about what the re-examination would look like.
The June statement, reported by his agency to the BBC, sought to limit the entry of foreign nationals into the US to protect against “foreign terrorists and other threats to national and public security.”
The administration said security concerns and the number of overstayed business, student and tourist visas were among the reasons the country made the list.
“The Taliban, a special purpose global terrorist group (SDGT), controls Afghanistan,” the proclamation said. “Afghanistan does not have a competent or cooperating central authority for issuing passports or civil documents, nor does it have adequate screening and verification measures.”
Other countries whose green card holders will take this exam include Burma, Chad, the Republic of Congo and Libya.
The attack on US troops on Wednesday drew a strong response from Trump.
“This attack highlights the greatest national security threat facing our country,” the president said. “The last administration let in 20 million unknown and unverified foreigners from all over the world, from places you don't even want to know about. No country can tolerate such a risk to our very survival.”
Last week, the same agency that reviewed green cards, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, announced it would review all refugees admitted under former President Joe Biden.
