At least ten African countries have been thrown into uncertainty after President Donald Trump ordered an immediate review of U.S. Green Card vetting procedures, following a security incident involving members of the D.C. National Guard.
The Trump administration has initiated what officials describe as a “full-scale re-examination” of all Green Cards issued to immigrants from designated “countries of concern.”
The move introduces sweeping changes that could have far-reaching consequences for African nationals and for migration flows into the United States.
The review was triggered by the shooting of two National Guard service members near the White House by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the U.S. through Operation Allies Welcome, the 2021 Biden-era program created for Afghans fleeing the Taliban. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, later died from her injuries, while Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition.
Announcing the order on X, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow said President Trump had instructed a “rigorous re-examination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” adding that protecting Americans was “paramount” and that the country would “not bear the cost of the prior administration’s reckless resettlement policies.”
Under the new directive, USCIS is now authorized to weigh “negative, country-specific factors” when reviewing Green Card applications from nationals of 19 countries, ten of which are African. The policy applies to all pending applications and any filed on or after November 27, 2025, giving immigration officers broad discretion to delay decisions, issue denials, or request additional documentation.
For Africa, the implications are significant. The U.S. remains a key migration destination for skilled workers, students, and refugees across the continent. The heightened scrutiny is expected to prolong visa backlogs, deepen uncertainty for families, and reinforce long-standing concerns about national-security labels that disproportionately affect African states. Countries such as Somalia, Eritrea, and Sudan already face stiff U.S. immigration restrictions, and analysts fear this expanded review could further entrench those barriers.
For African governments, the directive presents new diplomatic challenges. For migrants, it adds another layer of unpredictability at a time when mobility, employment abroad, and diaspora remittances remain central to economic stability across the continent.
African Countries Affected by Green Card Review
- Burundi
- Chad
- Republic of the Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Libya
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Togo
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