In a sweeping and immediate response to the shooting of two National Guard members this week, the Trump administration has directed an “unprecedented, full-scale, rigorous reexamination” of the permanent residency status for every immigrant who holds a Green Card from 19 specific countries deemed “of concern” for security and vetting failures.
The order, issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow, applies to hundreds of thousands of immigrants who have already secured Lawful Permanent Resident status, including many who were granted refugee or asylum status under the previous administration.
The Catalyst: An Attack and a Global List
The policy shift was directly prompted by the shooting of two National Guard personnel in Washington, D.C. The suspect, identified as an Afghan national, had entered the U.S. in 2021 through the Operation Allies Welcome program.
Director Edlow stated that the case exposed unacceptable vulnerabilities in the U.S. immigration screening process, necessitating a dramatic escalation of security measures.
- The Target List: The new policy focuses on individuals who came from 19 countries identified in a previous Presidential Proclamation as having either high rates of visa overstays, weak vetting systems, or security concerns, including terrorism threats.
- Key Countries of Concern: While the full list of 19 is extensive, officials confirmed it includes: Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, and Venezuela.
The USCIS guidance states that officers will now consider “negative, country-specific factors” when adjudicating any immigration benefit for aliens from these 19 nations, allowing for a much stricter interpretation of background checks and eligibility requirements.
A Freeze on Refugee Green Card Applications
The directive follows a parallel order issued earlier this week that created a review and rescreening of all refugees admitted to the U.S. during the Biden administration (from January 2021 to February 2025), a group estimated to include over 200,000 people.
Crucially, that order also placed an indefinite hold on all pending applications for Green Cards filed by refugees within that time frame.
- Stripping Status: Under the policy, if an individual refugee who has already received a Green Card is later deemed ineligible following the new review, their status could be revoked, and they could be placed in deportation proceedings. Furthermore, if the “principal” refugee’s case is rejected, the status of their accompanying family members would also be denied.
- Focus on Asylum: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that it is also now reviewing all asylum cases approved during the same period, further broadening the scope of the unprecedented government scrutiny.
Political Backlash and Humanitarian Alarm
The policy has drawn immediate and fierce condemnation from humanitarian organizations and civil rights groups, who warn the move will destabilize and “re-traumatize” hundreds of thousands of families who were promised permanent safety in the U.S.
“This unprecedented action marks a dramatic departure from U.S. law and longstanding humanitarian commitments,” stated the Refugee Council USA. “It is cruel and fundamentally undermines the promise of a permanent home given to people who fled persecution, conflict, or violence.”
The administration, however, remains resolute, arguing that it is fulfilling a campaign promise to end “expediency and quantity over quality interviews and detailed screening and vetting” to ensure national security. The legal battle over the validity and scope of this sweeping review is expected to reach federal courts quickly.