According to a report by CBS News on Thursday, a U.S. government official has disclosed that the Trump administration has ordered the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to halt all green card and citizenship applications for Nigerians and citizens of other nations recently added to the expanded “travel ban.”
The administration cited national security concerns and an ongoing evaluation of immigration vetting procedures as the reasons for the move.
This decision follows a proclamation signed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday, which tightens entry restrictions for countries identified as high-risk.
The administration described these nations as having “demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing” that jeopardize American safety.
Nigeria is among the 15 new countries facing partial restrictions.
This follows Trump’s October 31 declaration of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” based on allegations regarding the treatment of Christians in the nation.
The policy shift also saw countries like Laos and Sierra Leone—which were previously under partial restrictions—upgraded to a full entry ban.
This escalation prompted USCIS to broaden its freeze on all immigration petitions, including naturalization and permanent residency.
List of Affected Countries
The suspension of green card and citizenship applications now encompasses a wide range of nations categorized by their level of restriction:
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Full Travel Ban: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria, Laos, and Sierra Leone.
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Partial Travel Restrictions: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
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Previously Affected Countries: Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Yemen, and Venezuela.
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