In a move that has sent shockwaves through immigrant communities and drawn urgent reactions from foreign governments, the Trump administration has launched a sweeping review of green cards issued to individuals from 19 predominantly non-Western countries, many of which have long been on Washington’s security watchlist. The new policy, confirmed by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) chief Joseph Edlow, comes on the heels of a deadly incident in the nation’s capital and marks a dramatic escalation in the administration’s already hardline stance on immigration.
The anxiety began to mount on November 29, 2025, when President Donald Trump directed federal agencies to conduct what he called a “full-scale, rigorous re-examination of every green card for every alien from every country of concern.” According to Edlow, this order means that green card holders from Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, Venezuela, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Libya, and a dozen other nations now face a new level of scrutiny. These countries, already struggling with conflict, sanctions, or tenuous diplomatic ties with the United States, find themselves at the center of a rapidly intensifying debate over national security and American identity.
The immediate catalyst for this crackdown was a violent episode just days earlier. On November 26, 2025, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, allegedly shot two National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., one of whom later died from her injuries. The attack occurred just blocks from the White House and quickly became a political flashpoint. Lakanwal, as reported by AFP, had entered the United States in 2021 under a special visa program for Afghans who had assisted American forces during the military withdrawal from Afghanistan. He was also identified as a member of a CIA-backed “partner force” that fought the Taliban, underscoring the complex legacy of America’s two-decade conflict in the region.
President Trump wasted no time framing the incident as a wake-up call. “This attack underscores the greatest national security threat facing our nation,” he declared, doubling down on his assertion that the previous administration had allowed “20 million unknown and unvetted foreigners” into the country. In a June 2025 proclamation, Trump had already argued that the United States “must be vigilant” during the visa process and ensure that entrants do not “bear hostile attitudes toward its citizens or institutions.” The list of 19 countries subject to the new review matches those already facing a suspension of entry to the US—Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The administration’s response did not stop at green card reviews. On November 30, 2025, Edlow announced that USCIS had “halted all asylum decisions until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.” This sweeping freeze covers all pending asylum applications, leaving thousands of hopeful refugees in limbo. Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that the US had temporarily stopped issuing visas to all individuals traveling on Afghan passports. “The United States has no higher priority than protecting our nation and our people,” Rubio stated, emphasizing the administration’s focus on security above all else.
For immigrants from the affected countries, many of whom have lived, worked, and raised families in the United States for years, the new measures have created a climate of deep uncertainty and fear. Community leaders report a surge in hotline calls from green card holders and asylum seekers alike, all worried about losing their legal status or facing sudden investigations. According to AFP, the decision to freeze asylum decisions and suspend immigration processing for Afghans has left many in a state of limbo, unsure whether they will be allowed to remain in the country they now call home.
Foreign governments have not remained silent. Several have pressed the United States for explanations and have warned that blanket measures risk stigmatizing entire populations and straining already fragile diplomatic relations. Privately, some officials have described the move as “punitive” and “politically motivated,” especially given its timing after a high-profile attack and in the midst of ongoing political battles over immigration policy. The sense of frustration is palpable among diplomats from countries affected by both the travel ban and the new green card review.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has also revealed that all refugee admissions under the Biden administration are now under review. This sweeping re-evaluation, coupled with the freeze on asylum decisions, signals a return to the strictest era of US immigration policy in recent history. The Department of Homeland Security, when pressed for details, pointed to the same list of 19 countries that have faced travel restrictions since June 2025, highlighting the administration’s determination to keep these measures in place for the foreseeable future.
For many observers, the confluence of events—the shooting in Washington, the historic tensions over immigration, and the enduring scars of the Afghan conflict—has reignited debates about security, fairness, and the very nature of American openness. The administration’s critics argue that such sweeping actions risk undermining the country’s reputation as a haven for refugees and lawful immigrants. Supporters, on the other hand, insist that the measures are necessary to protect national security in an increasingly volatile world.
“We must be vigilant,” Trump insisted in his June proclamation, a sentiment echoed by his allies in Congress and the administration. Yet as hotline calls surge and uncertainty grows, it is clear that the effects of these policies reach far beyond the corridors of power in Washington. For millions of immigrants—documented and undocumented—the message is stark: the climate of fear and suspicion they have lived with for years is entering a new phase, and the political battle over America’s identity is far from over.
As the dust settles from the latest announcements, immigrant communities, foreign governments, and advocacy groups are all bracing for what comes next. The Trump administration shows no sign of backing down, and the debate over who belongs in America—and on what terms—continues to shape the nation’s politics, policies, and future.
