Under the new proclamation, immigrants from Nigeria and certain categories of travelers will face additional scrutiny and restrictions, although Nigeria was not included in the list of states subject to the blanket ban. The White House said the move reflects concerns about vetting procedures, record-keeping and information sharing in some affected countries.
The order expands on a travel ban first announced in June that completely bans entry from 12 countries and partially restricts seven others. The latest declaration adds seven more countries to the complete ban list and imposes partial restrictions on travelers from a further 15 countries, including Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana’s neighbors Benin and Ivory Coast, and Tanzania.
While the new measures fall short of an outright ban, they are expected to complicate obtaining U.S. visas for Nigerians. The government has not released a detailed breakdown of which visa categories will be affected, but previous partial bans typically allowed entry with restrictions on business, diplomatic or humanitarian reasons, while restricting immigrant visas and some non-immigrant visas.
Permanent residents of the United States are exempt, as are athletes and officials participating in major international sporting events, including the FIFA World Cup, scheduled to be held in North America next year. However, the proclamation removes previous exemptions that allowed spouses, children, and parents of U.S. citizens to enter the country while their visa applications are pending, a change that is likely to impact Nigerian families with immigration cases.
In his statement, Trump cited concerns about the ability of certain governments to provide reliable identification and share security information with U.S. authorities. He also cited corruption, fraud, terrorism and internal conflict in some countries as justification for expanding restrictions.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and one of the largest sources of African immigrants to the United States, has long faced intense scrutiny from U.S. authorities over documentation integrity and visa overstay rates. Although the administration did not accuse Nigeria of supporting terrorism, it did classify it among countries that it said needed improved vetting systems.
Nigeria’s participation is likely to strain relations between Abuja and Washington, especially given Nigeria’s role as a regional security partner in West Africa. Nigerian authorities did not immediately react to the announcement, but past travel restrictions have sparked diplomatic protests and efforts are underway to negotiate technical fixes to meet U.S. demands.
For ordinary Nigerians, the decision could delay family reunions, student admissions and professional exchanges, and reinforce the perception that access to the United States is becoming more difficult. Nigeria has one of the fastest growing numbers of US-bound students in Africa and a large diaspora that brings in billions of dollars in remittances each year.
The travel ban was a hallmark of Trump’s first term and faced widespread protests and legal challenges. However, in 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the president’s authority to restrict entry under Section 212(f) of the U.S. Immigration Act, ruling that national security concerns give the executive branch broad discretion.
This precedent remains the legal basis for the current expansion, and the chances of a successful court challenge are limited without Congressional intervention.
A total of 39 countries are currently subject to full or partial travel restrictions by the United States, one of the most extensive immigration measures since Trump took office. While the administration claims the policy is narrowly tailored to security needs, critics say it risks disproportionately impacting developing countries and deepening global divisions.
For Nigeria, the partial ban is both a warning and a negotiating platform. It signals that access to the United States will become more restricted, but not completely closed off, depending on how quickly bilateral concerns are addressed.
