BREAKING: US Halts Green Card, Citizenship Applications by Nigerians, Others — Report

The United States government has temporarily suspended the processing of legal immigration applications submitted by Nigerians and nationals of other countries newly added to the US “travel ban,” according to a report by CBC News.

The development largely affects immigrants from selected African and Asian countries and represents a further tightening of legal immigration measures expanded by the Trump administration this month.

Those impacted are mostly individuals already living in the United States who are seeking to adjust their immigration status, obtain permanent residency, or apply for US citizenship.

Earlier in December, the Trump administration instructed the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to place a complete hold on all immigration petitions including applications for green cards and naturalisation filed by nationals of 19 countries previously listed under the travel ban announced in June. The directive followed the Thanksgiving week shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C., an incident allegedly involving an Afghan national.

In addition, the administration suspended all decisions on asylum cases handled by USCIS, as well as the processing of immigration and visa applications submitted by Afghans.

On Tuesday, President Trump further expanded the travel ban to include 20 additional countries, imposing full entry bans on five nations and partial restrictions on 15 others. A US official, who spoke to CBS News on Friday on condition of anonymity, said USCIS has now extended its suspension of immigration case processing to nationals of the newly added countries.

Under the latest expansion, nationals of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria are subject to full bans. Partial restrictions apply to immigrants from Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Previously affected countries include 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. In the latest proclamation, Laos and Sierra Leone were upgraded from partial restrictions to full entry bans.

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow appeared to confirm the expansion in a social media post late Thursday, stating that the agency was conducting a comprehensive review of individuals deemed to pose security threats, including those named in the President’s latest immigration proclamation.

Altogether, the expanded travel ban now affects nationals from more than 60 per cent of African countries and about 20 per cent of countries worldwide.

While the Trump administration maintains that the measures are necessary to protect national security and address vetting challenges, the decision has sparked strong reactions among Nigerians. Many critics have described the move as unfair and excessive, questioning the security and religious freedom concerns cited by US authorities.

Some commentators warned of diplomatic strain and possible economic consequences, while former senator Shehu Sani described the policy as “a clear signal that migrants from developing countries are no longer welcome.”