BREAKING: Nigerians, others barred from US citizenship applications
Trump
The United States government has temporarily halted legal immigration applications from Nigerians and other countries recently added to the expanded US “travel ban,” CBC News reports.
The suspension affected immigrants from selected African and Asian nations, including those currently in the US seeking to adjust their status or apply for citizenship. The measure builds on the broader immigration restrictions implemented by the Trump administration earlier this month.
Earlier in December, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) was directed to freeze all immigration petitions including requests for American citizenship and permanent residency filed by nationals of 19 countries previously targeted under the “travel ban.”
The restrictions were linked to heightened national security concerns following a Thanksgiving week attack on two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C.
Trump’s latest proclamation added 20 more countries, imposing full entry bans on five nations and partial restrictions on the remaining 15.
Nationals of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria face complete bans, while Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are partially affected.
Previously restricted countries included Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Laos, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Yemen, and Venezuela. Laos and Sierra Leone, which were partially restricted, now face full bans under the new directive.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow indicated that the agency is reviewing all individuals deemed potential threats under the expanded proclamation, aiming to “restore law and order in the nation’s immigration system.”
The expanded restrictions cover over 60% of African countries and roughly 20% of nations worldwide. While the US government argues the policy ensures national security and proper vetting, many Nigerians and commentators have condemned the move as unfair and diplomatically damaging, downplaying the security rationale.
