The United States has quietly taken another hard step in its tightening immigration posture, and Nigerians are once again caught in the middle.
A senior US government official has revealed that the Trump administration has ordered the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to halt the processing of green card and citizenship applications submitted by Nigerians and nationals of several other countries newly swept into the expanded US travel ban.
The directive, disclosed in a report by CBS News on Thursday, signals a deeper escalation of Washington’s immigration clampdown—one that reaches beyond border controls and directly impacts people already living legally in the United States.
According to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the suspension is linked to what the administration describes as national security concerns and an ongoing reassessment of immigration screening and vetting procedures.
While framed as a temporary measure, the pause effectively freezes the immigration dreams of thousands who were already navigating the legal pathway to permanent residency or American citizenship.
The move follows a fresh proclamation signed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday, expanding the scope of the controversial US travel ban.
The new order further restricts entry into the country for nationals of states Washington now considers “high-risk,” citing what it calls serious and long-standing weaknesses in screening, vetting, and information-sharing systems.
In the proclamation, the White House warned of “demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies” in the ability of the affected countries to provide reliable data on travellers—shortcomings it claims pose threats to US national security and public safety.
Nigeria is among 15 additional countries newly placed under partial restrictions in the expanded travel ban.
The inclusion has stirred renewed controversy, particularly given Trump’s earlier remarks.
On October 31, the US president designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern,” a label that followed allegations of widespread persecution of Christians—claims that Nigerian officials and many citizens have strongly disputed.
While the latest directive does not amount to an outright ban for all listed nations, its implications are significant.
For those affected, applications for permanent residency and naturalisation are now stalled indefinitely, pending the outcome of the administration’s internal review.
Also Read: US Halts Immigration Applications From Nigerians, Others as Trump Expands Travel Ban
Below is the full list of countries revealed to be affected by the suspension of green card and citizenship applications:
Burkina Faso
Mali
Niger
South Sudan
Syria
Laos
Sierra Leone
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Benin
Côte d’Ivoire
Dominica
Gabon
Gambia
Malawi
Mauritania
Nigeria
Senegal
Tanzania
Tonga
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Afghanistan
Burundi
Chad
Cuba
Republic of the Congo
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Haiti
Iran
Libya
Myanmar
Somalia
Sudan
Togo
Turkmenistan
Yemen
Venezuela
Taken together, the latest action underscores the sweeping reach of Trump’s immigration agenda, extending its impact far beyond visa applicants overseas to immigrants already embedded in American society. For many Nigerians and others affected, the sudden halt has injected uncertainty, anxiety and frustration into what was supposed to be a lawful and predictable process—raising fresh questions about the future of US immigration policy under the current administration.
