 "Representational image. File image/Reuters")
The US government has announced that it would re-examine green card holders issued to people who came to the US from 19 specific countries, a day after an Afghan man shot two National Guard soldiers in Washington.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) chief, Joseph Edlow said that President Donald Trump has instructed the agency to conduct “a full-scale, rigorous re-examination of every green card for every alien from every country of concern”.
While the move supposedly follows the Washington shooting incident, Edlow’s post on X announcing Trump’s directive does not directly mention the attack.
“The protection of this country and of the American people remains paramount, and the American people will not bear the cost of the prior administration’s reckless resettlement policies,” said Edlow.
Which countries are part of the move?
When asked by the BBC which nations were included, the agency referred to a June White House proclamation listing Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, and Venezuela.
The proclamation highlighted that USCIS explained that the policy aims to limit foreign nationals from entering the US to protect against “foreign terrorists and other national security and public safety threats.”
According to the administration, factors such as security risks and high overstay rates for business, student, and tourist visas contributed to a country being added to the list.
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View All“The Taliban, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group, controls Afghanistan,” the proclamation noted. “Afghanistan lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures.”
Green card holders from other countries, including Burma, Chad, the Republic of Congo, and Libya, will also be subject to this review.
Suspect had links to CIA
FBI Director Kash Patel on Thursday confirmed that Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the suspect in the shooting of two US National Guard members, had connections to US forces in Afghanistan.
Lakanwal “had a relationship in Afghanistan with partner forces,” CNN quoted Patel as telling reporters during a news conference.
The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, arrived in the United States in September 2021 under the Operation Allies Welcome programme, which provided visas to Afghans who had assisted the US government.
The FBI searched multiple properties in a widening probe, including a home in Washington state linked to the suspect, who officials said was part of a CIA-backed unit in Afghanistan before coming to the US in 2021 under a resettlement program.
Agents seized numerous electronic devices from the residence of the suspect, identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, including cellphones, laptops, and iPads, and interviewed his relatives, FBI Director Kash Patel told a news conference.
With inputs from agencies