The US government has ordered a fresh review of green cards issued to nationals from 19 “countries of concern,” including 11 African nations, following a directive from President Donald Trump. Nigeria is not affected
US Orders Fresh Review of Green Cards Issued to 19 ‘Countries of Concern’, Nigeria Not Affected
The United States government has announced a sweeping reexamination of green cards previously issued to nationals from 19 “countries of concern,” eleven of which are African nations. The move was announced on Thursday—just hours before President Donald Trump declared he would “permanently pause immigration for all Third World countries.”
A green card, officially known as a Permanent Resident Card, grants non-citizens the legal right to live and work permanently in the United States.
The decision comes one day after an Afghan national was identified as the suspect in the shooting of two National Guard personnel in Washington, heightening immigration-related security concerns.
Nigeria Not Affected
Although the review targets several countries across Africa, Asia, North America and South America, Nigeria is not among those affected.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director, Joe Edlow, confirmed the development in a post on X.
“At the direction of @POTUS, I have directed a full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,”
— Joe Edlow, USCIS Director
African Countries on the Review List
The eleven African countries affected are:
- Togo
- Sierra Leone
- Libya
- Sudan
- Eritrea
- Somalia
- Burundi
- Chad
- Equatorial Guinea
- Republic of the Congo
Other Countries Affected
The remaining countries include six in Asia, two in North America, and one in South America:
Asia:
Iran, Yemen, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Laos, Turkmenistan
North America:
Haiti, Cuba
South America:
Venezuela
According to the USCIS, nationals from these countries will undergo new security screenings. Officials will also consider additional “negative factors,” including concerns about the ability of some governments to issue secure and verifiable identity documents.
The immigration review follows Wednesday’s fatal shooting in Washington in which a US National Guard officer, Sarah Beckstrom, was killed and another left in critical condition.
CNN reported that the suspect—an Afghan national—approached three National Guard members who were initially unaware of his presence, before opening fire. Read More
