Trump Orders Rigorous Review of Green Cards Issued to Nationals of 19 ‘Countries of Concern’

In a major move following the recent Washington DC shooting incident, US President Donald Trump has ordered a comprehensive review of all green cards issued to immigrants from 19 countries labeled as “countries of concern.”

Joe Edlow, Director of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), announced the decision on Thursday, stating that the reexamination will be “full-scale” and “rigorous.” The directive follows an earlier statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which confirmed it is reassessing all asylum approvals granted under the Biden administration.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Edlow wrote:
“At the direction of @POTUS, I have directed a full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern.”

According to CNN, these 19 countries were officially listed as “countries of concern” under a presidential proclamation issued in June.

List of 19 Countries Under Review

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.

The move is expected to impact thousands of green card holders and may lead to renewed scrutiny of immigration vetting policies across the US.