After the shooting of two National Guard members by an Afghan national near the White House on Wednesday, the Trump administration announced it would conduct a thorough review of all green cards issued to immigrants from “every country of concern.”
Will the new Green Card crackdown affect Indians?
Indians living in the United States will not be affected by this crackdown on green card holders as India is not on the list of countries of concern. However, the Trump administration did not specifically name the countries that would be affected by the latest tough measures.
Trump administration green card crackdown
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow said he ordered a comprehensive and thorough review of all green card applications from individuals from countries of interest, based on an executive order by US President Donald Trump.
In a post on X, Eldow said, “At the direction of @POTUS, I have ordered a full and rigorous review of every green card for every alien from all affected countries.”
Taking a dig at the Biden administration, he added: “The protection of this country and the American people remains paramount, and the American people will not bear the cost of the reckless resettlement policies of the previous administration. American security is non-negotiable.”
Which countries are of concern?
In the June 2025 executive order, the Trump administration issued guidelines restricting the entry of citizens from certain countries. The list includes: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
Shooting at the White House
The latest green card hit comes after an Afghan national, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, reportedly opened fire on two Guardsmen just blocks from the White House on Wednesday, November 26. One of them, 20-year-old Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, was killed, while 24-year-old US Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe remains in critical condition, Reuters reported.
Donald Trump’s actions
In response to the incident, Donald Trump announced on Thursday that his administration would implement a permanent suspension of migration from all “third world countries” to give the US system enough time to fully recover. Trump also said the US would end all federal benefits and subsidies for non-citizens, according to the report.
In addition to the crackdown on green cards, the Trump administration issued new guidance that allows for country-specific factors to be taken into account when screening aliens from 19 high-risk countries.
