United States President Donald Trump has expanded America’s travel restrictions, placing Nigeria among 39 countries facing full or partial entry bans into the United States, according to CNN.
CNN reports that Trump on Tuesday signed a proclamation widening the list from an earlier 19 countries, marking a major escalation of his administration’s renewed immigration crackdown. Nigeria is listed among 15 countries subjected to partial travel restrictions, alongside Angola, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Under the proclamation, seven countries including Laos, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria were placed under a full travel ban. Laos and Sierra Leone had previously faced partial restrictions. The White House, as cited by CNN, said the affected countries show “severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information sharing.”
The expanded policy includes exemptions for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, specific visa categories and individuals whose entry is considered to serve US national interests. CNN also noted that the proclamation applies new travel limitations to holders of Palestinian Authority issued travel documents, while lifting a ban on nonimmigrant visas for citizens of Turkmenistan, even as other entry restrictions remain.
The expansion follows earlier reporting by CNN that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had recommended increasing the list to between 30 and 32 countries. The final decision went further, bringing the total number of affected countries to 39 across Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific.
According to CNN, the move comes as President Trump intensifies his immigration clampdown, citing security concerns after a recent shooting in Washington, DC, that killed one National Guard member and critically wounded another. The suspect in the attack was identified as an Afghan national who had previously worked with the United States in Afghanistan before resettling in the US.
CNN reports that Trump has previously spoken publicly about what he described as a “genocide” in parts of Nigeria, particularly in relation to persistent attacks by armed groups. The US president has on several occasions urged Nigerian authorities to do more to protect vulnerable communities, framing the situation as a major human rights and security concern.
In separate comments, Trump had suggested that the United States might be forced to take direct action if Nigerian authorities failed to halt the violence, remarks that were widely interpreted as a threat of possible military intervention. Although no formal invasion plan was announced, the statements sparked diplomatic concern in Nigeria and across Africa, adding to tensions now heightened by Nigeria’s inclusion in the expanded US travel restrictions.
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