JUST IN: US expands travel restrictions, adds Nigeria to list of affected countries

The United States has expanded its travel restrictions, adding Nigeria to a list of countries whose nationals now face partial limits on entry, following a new proclamation signed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

The decision was announced in a White House fact sheet issued on December 16, 2025, titled “President Donald J. Trump Further Restricts and Limits the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States.” The document states that the measures target countries considered high-risk because of what it described as “demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing” that could threaten U.S. national security and public safety.

Nigeria is among 15 countries newly placed under partial restrictions. Others on the list include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The proclamation maintains full travel restrictions on nationals from 12 countries previously designated as high-risk under Proclamation 10949: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. It also imposes full restrictions on five additional countries—Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria—as well as individuals holding travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority. Laos and Sierra Leone, which were earlier subject to partial restrictions, have now been moved to the full-restriction category.

Nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela remain under partial restrictions.

According to the White House, the action is intended to strengthen national security through what it called “common sense restrictions based on data.” The fact sheet explains that the measures are designed to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to properly assess security risks, while also encouraging greater cooperation from foreign governments.

The document notes that exceptions apply to lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, certain visa categories such as diplomats and athletes, and individuals whose entry is deemed to serve U.S. national interests. Case-by-case waivers remain available, although some family-based immigrant visa provisions identified as carrying fraud risks have been narrowed.

In outlining the rationale for the restrictions, the White House cited issues such as widespread corruption, unreliable or fraudulent civil documents, poor criminal record systems, lack of birth registration, refusal by some governments to share passport or law-enforcement data, high visa overstay rates, and failure to repatriate removable nationals. It also pointed to the presence of terrorist, criminal, or extremist activity in several affected countries.

President Trump was quoted as saying it is his duty to ensure that those seeking entry into the United States do not pose a threat to the American people. The fact sheet added that the proclamation followed consultations with cabinet officials and assessments conducted under existing executive orders and country-specific security reviews.

The White House also referenced a previous Supreme Court ruling that upheld similar travel restrictions, noting that the Court found the policy to be within presidential authority and based on legitimate national security purposes.

Nigeria’s inclusion comes weeks after President Trump, on October 31, declared the country a “country of particular concern” following allegations of persecution against Christians.

The proclamation also announced a change regarding Turkmenistan, stating that improvements in cooperation with U.S. authorities led to the lifting of restrictions on nonimmigrant visas for its nationals, while the suspension on immigrant entry remains in place.