A United States government official has disclosed that the administration of Donald Trump has instructed the US Citizenship and Immigration Services to suspend the processing of green card and citizenship applications submitted by Nigerians and nationals of other countries newly added to the expanded United States travel ban, citing national security concerns and an ongoing review of immigration screening and vetting procedures, according to a report by CBS News.
The directive follows a proclamation signed by Trump on Tuesday, December 16, that further restricts entry into the United States for nationals of countries classified as high risk due to what the White House described as “demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information sharing” that threaten US national security and public safety, with Nigeria listed among 15 additional countries placed under partial restrictions.
Trump had earlier, on October 31, designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” following allegations of a Christian genocide in the country. The suspension applies to countries facing full travel bans such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria, Laos and Sierra Leone, as well as those under partial restrictions including Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe, while nationals of previously restricted countries including Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Yemen and Venezuela also remain affected.
The latest action expands earlier restrictions announced in June, with Laos and Sierra Leone moved from partial limits to a full entry ban, prompting USCIS to extend the freeze on immigration petitions, including applications for permanent residency and citizenship, as the administration continues its review of immigration and national security policies.