The United States Government has announced a temporary halt on the processing of green card and citizenship applications for Nigerians and nationals from other countries that have recently been added to a travel ban. This significant move, reported by CBS News, affects legal immigration applications managed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and predominantly targets immigrants from select African and Asian nations.
Many individuals impacted by this suspension are already residing legally in the United States and were in the process of adjusting their immigration status or seeking to become American citizens. In early December, the Trump administration ordered USCIS to freeze all immigration petitions, including applications for permanent residency and citizenship, from nationals of 19 countries covered by a travel ban announced in June.
This decision came in the wake of a Thanksgiving week incident in which two National Guard soldiers were shot in Washington, D.C., allegedly by an Afghan national. Following this violent event, the administration not only halted immigration petitions but also suspended decisions on asylum cases handled by USCIS and ceased all immigration and visa applications from Afghans.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump expanded the travel ban to include an additional 20 countries. The ban fully bars entry from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, while partially restricting travel from 15 others, including Nigeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
A U.S. official, speaking anonymously to CBS News, confirmed that the suspension of immigration cases has now extended to cover nationals from the newly included countries. This policy shift raises significant concerns among immigrant communities regarding their rights and the complications they face in seeking a better life in the U.S. As the situation develops, many individuals are left to navigate an increasingly challenging immigration landscape under the current administration.
