The United States Government has temporarily halted legal immigration applications filed by Nigerians and nationals of other countries newly added for the US travel ban proclamation this year.
The suspension primarily impacts immigrants from certain African and Asian countries, making a further escalation of a broad crackdown on legal immigration initiated by the Trump administration this month.
Many of those affected by the pause are believed to be legal immigrants already in the United States who are seeking to change their immigration status or become US citizens.
Earlier in December, the Trump administration directed US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) to freeze all immigration petitions, including requests for American citizenship and permanent residency, made by individuals in the United States who are nationals of the 19 counties originally banned or restricted under the travel ban imposed in June.
That order , commonly referred to as the “travel ban” was one of the several immigration restricted announced in the aftermaths of the Thanksgiving week shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington D.C, an attack reportedly carried out by an Afghan national.
The administration also suspended decisions of asylum cases handled by USCIS and the processing of all immigration and visa requests by Afghans.
Additionally on Tuesday, Trump expanded the travel ban proclamation to include 20 more nations, fully barring immigrants and travellers from five new countries and partly restricting entry from 15 others.
Trump’s latest travel ban affects nationals of over 60 percent of countries in Africa and roughly 20 percent of all nations worldwide.
Trump has also defended the sweeping restrictions as necessary to safeguard national security and address concerns about the ability to vet people from the affected countries.
However, the decision has sparked reactions among Nigerians, with many denouncing the move as unfair and exaggerated, dismissing the security and religious freedom concern cited by Washington.
Commentators highlighted potential diplomatic embarrassment and economic harm, while disputing or downplaying the rationale given by US officials.
Former Senator Shehu Sani described the ban as “a clear signal that migrants from developing countries are no longer welcome”.
-9News Nigeria.
