'Travel Ban 2.0': Trump Admin to Examine Green Cards Holders

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New scrutiny revives echoes of “Travel Ban 2.0” as Afghan evacuees face frozen processing and possible asylum reviews, sparking alarm among rights advocates.

By TRH Foreign Affairs Desk

New Delhi, November 28, 2025 — The CBS News reported that the Trump administration has formally announced it will re-examine green card holders from 19 countries, a move that mirrors what critics describe as a potential revival of “Travel Ban 2.0.” While the announcement was made today, officials confirmed that internal preparations for the review had been underway for several weeks.

The renewed scrutiny follows heightened security concerns after a deadly incident in Washington. Senior administration officials have pointed to Operation Allies Welcome, the emergency program launched in September 2021 to relocate Afghan allies to the United States after the fall of Kabul.

According to officials, the alleged shooter entered the US in September 2021 through pathways linked to that operation, following his work with a US intelligence partner force in Afghanistan.

Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe confirmed that aspects of the suspect’s travel were tied to the evacuation program, intensifying political focus on vetting procedures used during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

However, a Justice Department Inspector General audit presents a sharply different statistical picture. “Out of nearly 90,000 Afghan evacuees who entered the United States under Operation Allies Welcome, the Federal Bureau of Investigation flagged just 231 individuals through watch-list screening,” said CBS News in its report.

Of these, only 55 were identified after already entering the US, making them a minute fraction of the overall evacuee population.

Despite these findings, the administration has now paused all immigration application processing for Afghan nationals and has begun re-evaluating a number of asylum approvals granted under the Biden administration.

“Immigration lawyers and humanitarian groups warn that thousands of families—many of whom supported US forces during the war—are once again being pushed into legal limbo,” added the broadcaster in its report.

Advocates expressed deep concern that one individual act of violence is now shaping policy for an entire community that has already endured displacement, trauma, and prolonged uncertainty. “This is a collective punishment approach to a highly vulnerable population,” one immigration rights worker told reporters, warning that the measures risk undermining US commitments made during the 2021 evacuation.

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