NIGERIANS, OTHERS STOPPED FROM APPLYING FOR US GREEN CARD, CITIZENSHIP

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Agency report

The United States Government has temporarily halted legal immigration applications filed by Nigerians and other new countries added to the US “travel ban” proclamation this week, CBC News reports.

The move primarily affects immigrants from certain African and Asian nations and marks an escalation of the wide-ranging crackdown on legal immigration expanded by the Trump administration earlier this month.

Many of those impacted are likely legal immigrants already in the US seeking to change their status or apply for citizenship.

Earlier in December, the Trump administration directed US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to freeze all immigration petitions — including requests for American citizenship and permanent residency — from nationals of the 19 countries previously banned or restricted in June, an order colloquially referred to as the “travel ban.”

The restrictions were among several immigration measures announced after the Thanksgiving week shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C., allegedly carried out by an Afghan national.

The administration also suspended all asylum decisions and the processing of immigration and visa requests by Afghans.

On Tuesday, Trump expanded the “travel ban” proclamation to include 20 additional nations, fully barring immigrants and travellers from five new countries while partially restricting entry from another 15.

Speaking with CBS News on Friday, a US official who requested anonymity said USCIS has extended its suspension of immigration cases to include the new nationalities added to Trump’s proclamation.

The pause now affects nationals of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, the new countries facing full travel bans.

It will also impact people from Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe — the last set facing partial restrictions.

Previously, the suspension applied to nationals of Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Laos, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Yemen, and Venezuela.

Trump’s latest proclamation now imposes a full entry ban on citizens of Laos and Sierra Leone, which previously faced partial restrictions.

In a statement on social media late Thursday, USCIS Director Joseph Edlow appeared to reference the expansion.

“USCIS is conducting a comprehensive review of anyone from anywhere who poses a threat to the US, including those identified in the President’s latest proclamation to restore law and order in our nation’s immigration system.”

Taken together, Trump’s latest “travel ban” affects nationals of over 60% of African countries and roughly 20% of all nations worldwide.

Trump has defended the broad restrictions as measures to safeguard national security and address concerns about vetting people from the affected nations.

However, the decision has sparked debate among Nigerians, with many calling the move unfair and exaggerated, dismissing the security and religious freedom arguments cited by Washington.

Commentators warned of diplomatic embarrassment and potential economic harm while disputing the security rationale.

Former senator Shehu Sani described the move as “a clear signal that migrants from developing countries are no longer welcome.”