On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed a new Proclamation further limiting entry into the United States for nationals from countries identified as high-risk due to “persistent and serious deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing” that could threaten U.S. national security and public safety.
Among the 15 additional nations newly placed under partial restrictions is Nigeria.
The announcement was published on the White House website in a fact sheet titled “President Donald J. Trump Further Restricts and Limits the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States”, dated December 16, 2025.
Earlier, on October 31, Trump had designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” citing reports of a Christian genocide in the country.
The White House described the measure as a step to “strengthen national security through common-sense restrictions based on data.”
Under the Proclamation, full restrictions and entry limitations remain in place for the original 12 high-risk countries under Proclamation 10949: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
The new order also imposes full restrictions on five additional countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, as well as on holders of Palestinian-Authority-issued travel documents. Countries previously under partial restrictions, Laos and Sierra Leone, now face full restrictions.
Countries remaining under partial restrictions include Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela.
The Proclamation introduces partial restrictions on 15 more nations, including Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The fact sheet clarifies that exceptions apply to lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, certain categories such as diplomats and athletes, and individuals whose entry aligns with U.S. national interests. Family-based immigrant visa exceptions with high fraud risks have been narrowed, though case-by-case waivers remain possible.
Explaining the rationale, the White House emphasized that the Proclamation is necessary “to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose, ensure cooperation from foreign governments, enforce immigration laws, and advance national security and counterterrorism objectives.”
Trump was quoted directly: “It is the President’s duty to take action to ensure that those seeking to enter our country will not harm the American people.” The Proclamation follows consultations with cabinet officials and assessments based on Executive Order 14161, Proclamation 10949, and country-specific information, concluding that additional restrictions were necessary to protect U.S. national security and public safety.
The fact sheet notes that restrictions are country-specific, reflecting the unique challenges each nation presents, such as widespread corruption, unreliable civil documents, incomplete birth registration systems, refusal to share passport data or law-enforcement information, and Citizenship-by-Investment programs that bypass proper vetting.
Additional concerns include high visa-overstay rates, refusal to repatriate removable nationals, and the presence of terrorist, criminal, or extremist activity in certain countries.
The White House framed the Proclamation as part of Trump’s ongoing national security agenda, stating: “President Trump is keeping his promise to restore travel restrictions on dangerous countries and secure our borders.”
The fact sheet also cites the Supreme Court’s previous rulings, confirming that similar restrictions fall within the President’s authority and serve legitimate purposes, including preventing entry of individuals who cannot be adequately vetted and encouraging other countries to improve security practices.
Finally, Turkmenistan, previously restricted, has made sufficient progress in cooperation with the U.S., leading to the lifting of nonimmigrant visa bans, while restrictions on immigrant visas remain in effect.
