The United States has launched a sweeping review of green cards issued to nationals from 19 “countries of concern,” including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Yemen, and Venezuela.
The move marks one of the most extensive immigration policy shifts under the current Trump administration and has already created uncertainty for thousands of residents.
USCIS orders comprehensive re-examination
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed that every green card issued to individuals from the 19 listed countries will be re-examined.
USCIS Director Joe Edlow said the review will assess “negative, country-specific factors,” including whether identity documents from these countries can be considered credible and verifiable, including Afghanistan.
The list includes Afghanistan, Myanmar, Burundi, Chad, Congo, Cuba, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen.
Edlow stated that document reliability and national-level security assessments remain a challenge for US authorities in these regions.
Alongside this measure, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has indefinitely halted the processing of Afghan-related immigration applications and is reviewing past asylum approvals granted under the Biden Administration.
Broader crackdown by US for ‘Countries of Concern’
Former President Donald Trump has described the new rules as part of a wider effort to “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries.”
Moreover, tighten national security checks, revoke federal benefits for noncitizens, and expand denaturalization actions for those considered security risks.
Supporters argue that the steps are necessary to safeguard the country as US has recently faced a brutal attack from Afghan immigrants on personnel’s of National guard just outside the White House.
These attacks have sparked a major retaliatory action from the Trump administration to halt immigration from the above-mentioned countries for the safety and security of the wider US public.
The rules, implemented on November 27, will significantly increase screening for immigrants from the designated countries.
Employers with foreign staff have been advised to monitor the situation closely, as the changes may cause prolonged uncertainty and additional compliance challenges in the months ahead.
