NYC Muslim Community Voices Concern Over New US Green-Card Review Targeting 19 Countries

NYC Muslim Community Voices Concern Over New US Green-Card Review Targeting 19 Countries
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Muslim community leaders in New York City expressed alarm after the US government announced a sweeping review of all green-card holders from 19 “countries of concern,” Yahoo News reported. The move comes in response to a fatal shooting near the White House — the suspected attacker was identified as an Afghan national — prompting the administration to reexamine permanent-resident status for immigrants from the designated countries.

According to a report by PIX11, the policy has sparked fears among Muslims in Brooklyn and beyond, who worry the review could target entire communities on the basis of nationality or religion. Community members described the plan as discriminatory and said it undermines the sense of security many immigrants felt after obtaining residency.

Under the new directive, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is instructed to perform a “full-scale, rigorous re-examination” of green cards issued to citizens of 19 countries — including Afghanistan, Iran, Yemen, Somalia and others — with unspecified consequences for those under renewed scrutiny, Arab News reported.

Critics argue that the policy may revive stigmatization of immigrant communities and derail long-established families’ residency statuses. Advocates call on authorities to ensure due process and transparent criteria, warning the review could inflict widespread anxiety and erode trust between immigrant communities and government institutions.