Iran International
A plan to reassess green cards for nationals from 19 countries including Iran after a DC shooting risks collective punishment, legal experts and members of the affected communities warn, as the move plunges thousands of vetted immigrants into limbo.
The announcement came after an Afghan national opened fire on West Virginia National Guard on the day before Thanksgiving last week, killing Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and severely injuring Andrew Wolfe, 24.
“This feels like a form of collective punishment because there was one sole shooter who is not reflective of a broader community of Afghans,” international human rights lawyer Gissou Nia told Iran International.
“It also feels like a move to ban legal immigration completely from certain countries that the Trump administration does not want to see any immigrants from.”
The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, arrived in the United States in 2021 under a program that granted protections to Afghan partner forces following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Lakanwal sought asylum in 2024 and was granted it in April under the Trump administration according to sources familiar with the matter cited by ABC News.
The administration has so far provided few details about how the re-evaluation would work beyond public statements from US President Donald Trump and senior immigration officials.
Trump, whose political comeback last year depended heavily on his pledge to halt illegal immigration and carry out mass deportations, said he would “permanently pause migration from all third world countries”.
But a lack of clarity has created deep uncertainty for thousands of legal permanent residents — including Iranians, dual nationals and residents of third countries — who wonder whether they will be affected.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to an Iran International request for comment.
Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security wrote on X after meeting with Trump on Monday: “I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies ... We don’t want them. Not one.”
Supporters of the administration’s move are also speaking out publicly.
Stephen Miller, former White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security advisor, pushed back against Democratic criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration measures, arguing that critics oppose any limits on immigration.
“The Democrat Party is organized around one essential command: No limit of any kind can be placed on the entry of third-world migrants. The failed states of the world must be allowed to empty themselves out into America. And you must pay for their every need, forever,” Miller wrote.
'Political tokens'
Iranian-American organizations say the decision jeopardizes legal commitments made to people who have already undergone years of vetting.
Ali Rahnama of the Iranian American Lawyers Defense Fund (IALDF) said the move threatens fundamental principles of fairness and rule of law.
“Green cards are not political tokens. They are the foundation of family reunions, economic growth and America’s future. They are earned after an elaborate and detailed process,” he told Iran International.
National security analysts caution that the government’s response seeing complex geopolitical dynamics through the prism of a single tragedy.
Dr. Eric Mandel, director of the Middle East Political Information Network (MEPIN) said the administration’s decision must be understood in the broader context of America’s ongoing effort to secure its borders.
He said the United States still needs strict screening to keep out real threats but warned "those escaping the (Iranian) regime’s Shiite jihadists are often the very Iranians most inclined to stand with the United States. Instead of punishing them, US policy should champion the Iranian people and signal unequivocally that America supports their pursuit of democratic change.”
Iran specialist Behnam Ben Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) said the review could unfairly ensnare Iranians who underwent years of rigorous screening.
“There’s an old Persian saying that goes, ‘a fool throws a stone into a well, and a thousand wise men can’t get it out.’ This best describes the situation facing Iranian green card holders following the shooting,” he said.
“It was already hard enough for Iranians to come to America, especially after the travel ban. Iran has one of the highest brain drain rates in the region."
Sense of blame
Among Afghans, the shooting has triggered not only grief but fear of collective blame. A community member who attended a candlelight vigil outside the White House on Sunday for the two National Guard victims said she is overcome with grief.
"They (the Afghan community) expressed deep sympathy for the victims and called for the strongest punishment for the perpetrator," she said.
The community member who also lived in Iran, who asked to remain anonymous for her safety, said fellow Afghans worry they would now be blamed.
“Afghans have been US partners for two decades," she said," and one person’s crime should not define millions.”
In a letter addressed to Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, 155 members of parliament said the judiciary had become passive in applying regulations on Islamic dress and public behavior.
They urged the courts to “restore governance” by ensuring that all state bodies enforce existing rules while the government’s postponed hijab law remains under review.
“The judiciary cannot remain passive toward failures by executive bodies,” the lawmakers wrote, accusing some judges and officials of “negligence” that had allowed “moral decline” and “social abnormalities” to spread.
The lawmakers urged action on the Chastity and Hijab law—formally called the Law on Protection of the Family Through Promotion of Chastity and Hijab—which was approved by parliament but has yet to be sent to the government for implementation.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has faced mounting criticism from hardline lawmakers who accuse him of withholding the legislation.
Tehran MP Kamran Ghazanfari on Tuesday said Ghalibaf had refused to finalize the law since September last year, calling the delay a violation of his legal duty.
“This means obstructing the implementation of a Quranic and divine command,” he told parliament, accusing the speaker of “ignoring repeated calls” from clerics and legislators and allowing “immodesty and corruption” to spread.
Government signals caution
Also on Tuesday, government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said ministries have submitted periodic reports on the status of hijab enforcement to President Masoud Pezeshkian and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
“The hijab report has been delivered on time to the president and the Supreme Leader, and action will be taken to curb organized movements,” she said, adding that each ministry provides updates according to its responsibilities within specific time frames.
Supreme leader’s directive
Tensions rose further last week when a leaked audio file suggested Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had issued a written order to step up enforcement of Islamic dress codes after reviewing an intelligence ministry report warning of “erosion of discipline.”
Officials later confirmed the directive but denied any dispute within the cabinet. Conservative outlets described it as an “explicit call for decisive action” against violations of the hijab law.
Despite growing pressure, many women and girls continue to appear unveiled in public. The Associated Press reported last week that uncovered women were seen walking freely in Tehran’s markets, metro stations and schools, often without interference from police.
Analysts say authorities are wary of large-scale crackdowns that could reignite unrest. “The scale of disobedience is unprecedented,” said Iran analyst Holly Dagres. “Another coercive campaign could spark protests they cannot contain.”
Iranian media last week reported police raided a film star’s home in Tehran, detaining more than 20 people and seizing homemade alcohol – contraband under Iranian law – with several attendees later freed on undertakings or bail.
“In today’s Iran, no one outside the ruling inner circle is safe from state intrusion—even as officials enjoy lavish parties of their own, laying bare the hypocrisy behind what they call upholding values... While officials claim to defend Islamic values, their real objective is absolute control over society,” read the post.
Authorities frequently announce closures and arrests tied to alcohol, mixed-gender events or dress-code enforcement as part of broader morality crackdowns, according to state-aligned and independent outlets.
Panahi – one of Iran’s most acclaimed directors and a recent Palme d’Or winner at Cannes – has faced recurring curbs on his work and movement over the past decade.
Alcohol has been banned in Iran since 1979, with violations punishable by fines, lashings or prison, and tougher penalties for production and distribution.
Publicized raids on cafés and private venues have increased in recent years, while rights groups and local officials periodically report poisonings from unregulated liquor in the underground market.
Iranian officials say strict enforcement upholds Islamic norms and deters smuggling; critics argue decades of prohibition have pushed consumption into riskier, unregulated channels.