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| US President Donald Trump and Nigeria’s President Tinubu |
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, imposing fresh restrictions on entry to the United States from dozens of high-risk countries, citing severe gaps in screening, vetting, and information-sharing that endanger national security and public safety.
Nigeria joins 14 other nations newly hit with partial entry limits, marking a significant escalation in Trump’s border security push.
The White House fact sheet, titled “President Donald J. Trump Further Restricts and Limits the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States,” details full bans continuing on the original 12 countries from Proclamation 10949: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Five more - Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria - now face full restrictions, alongside holders of Palestinian Authority travel documents.
Laos and Sierra Leone have shifted from partial to full bans.
Partial restrictions persist for Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela, while the new partial limits target Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Exceptions apply to lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, athletes, diplomats, and those serving U.S. interests, though family-based immigrant visas with high fraud risks face tighter rules. Case-by-case waivers remain available.
Trump’s move builds on his October 31 declaration labeling Nigeria a “country of particular concern” for alleged Christian persecution. The administration blames issues like corruption, unreliable documents, missing birth records, refusal to share passport data or law enforcement info, citizenship-by-investment scams, high visa overstays, and ties to terrorism or crime in these nations.
“It is the President’s duty to take action to ensure that those seeking to enter our country will not harm the American people,” Trump stated in the fact sheet. Officials say the tailored, country-specific measures aim to spur cooperation and enforce immigration laws.
Turkmenistan earned a partial reprieve after improving U.S. cooperation, with nonimmigrant visas restored but immigrant entry still suspended. The policy aligns with Supreme Court precedents affirming presidential authority on vetting threats.
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