A US government official has disclosed that the Trump administration has instructed the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to suspend the processing of green card and citizenship applications submitted by Nigerians and nationals of other countries recently added to the expanded US “travel ban.”
The official said the decision was based on national security concerns and an ongoing review of immigration screening procedures, according to a report by CBS News on Thursday.
The move follows a proclamation signed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday, which further restricts entry into the United States for nationals of countries considered high-risk due to what it described as “demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing” that threaten US national security and public safety.
Nigeria is among 15 additional countries placed under partial travel restrictions in the latest announcement.
ALSO READ: Retaliation: Trump keeps to promise as US strikes IS group in Syria
Under the new directive, USCIS has paused immigration petitions, including green card and citizenship applications, from affected countries.
Countries under a full travel ban include Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria, Laos, and Sierra Leone.
Countries facing partial travel restrictions include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The suspension also affects countries previously placed under travel restrictions, such as Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen.
Trump had earlier, on October 31, declared Nigeria a “country of particular concern” following allegations of a Christian genocide in the country.