A deadly attack on National Guard members in Washington D.C. has triggered a massive and immediate overhaul of American immigration procedures, with the Trump administration announcing a "full-scale, rigorous re-examination" of green cards and asylum cases from 19 nations, including several in Africa.

The move directly impacts thousands of hopeful immigrants and current residents from the continent. For Kenyans and other East Africans not on the list, the directive signals a potentially volatile and uncertain future for anyone seeking to travel to or live in the United States, as the criteria for such reviews could widen without warning.

The policy shift came just hours after 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal shot two National Guard members near the White House on Wednesday, killing one. Lakanwal had entered the U.S. in 2021 under a resettlement program for Afghans who assisted American forces.

African Nations in the Crosshairs

In response to the attack, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow announced he was acting on President Donald Trump's request to conduct the sweeping review. While the initial focus was on Afghan nationals, the review was quickly expanded.

The list of 19 "countries of concern" whose citizens now face this heightened scrutiny includes a significant African contingent. The nations facing either a full or partial travel suspension and subsequent green card reviews are:

• Burundi
• Chad
• Republic of the Congo
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Libya
• Sierra Leone
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Togo

USCIS also announced it would begin treating an applicant's origin from these countries as a "significant negative factor" in immigration applications. This suggests that simply being a citizen of one of these nations could be enough to jeopardize an application, a move that critics have warned is discriminatory.

A Chilling Effect on a Continent's Hopes

The Trump administration has argued the move is necessary for national security. Director Edlow stated his primary responsibility was to ensure every applicant is vetted to the maximum degree possible, emphasizing that "American lives come first." The review will cover approximately 233,000 refugees who entered the U.S. between February 2021 and January 2025.

For many Africans, the American dream has long represented a path to economic opportunity, safety, and education. Previous immigration restrictions under the Trump administration have already been shown to reduce the flow of remittances and limit educational exchanges, impacting local economies and societies.

While the full impact of this latest review remains to be seen, the immediate effect is one of uncertainty. For citizens of the targeted African nations, their future in the U.S. is now in question. For the rest of the continent, it is a stark reminder of how quickly and dramatically the doors to America can close.