US President Donald Trump recently shared data on immigrant welfare usage, highlighting that approximately one-third (33.3%) of Nigerian immigrant households in the United States receive some form of public assistance.
The information, posted on Trump’s Truth Social platform on January 4, 2026, comes amid ongoing Republican debates over immigration, welfare dependency, and the economic impact of foreign-born residents.
The chart, titled “Immigrant Welfare Recipient Rates by Country of Origin,” covers 114 countries and territories, showing the share of households receiving benefits such as food aid, healthcare, and other government support programs.
Countries with the highest welfare participation rates include Bhutan (81.4%), Yemen (75.2%), Somalia (71.9%), Marshall Islands (71.4%), Dominican Republic (68.1%), Afghanistan (68.1%), Congo (66.0%), Guinea (65.8%), Samoa (1940–1950) (63.4%), and Cape Verde (63.1%).
At the other end of the spectrum, the lowest rates were reported in Bermuda (25.5%), Saudi Arabia (25.7%), Israel/Palestine (25.9%), Argentina (26.2%), unspecified South American nations (26.7%), Korea (27.2%), Zambia (28.0%), Portugal (28.2%), Kenya (28.5%), and Kuwait (29.3%).
Alongside these welfare statistics, the Trump administration has tightened immigration controls. In June 2025, a presidential proclamation imposed full and partial travel bans on foreign nationals from several countries, citing security concerns, insufficient cooperation with US immigration authorities, and unreliable identity systems. Full bans blocked all visa issuance and entry for citizens of 12 countries, while partial restrictions applied to specific visa categories, including tourist, student, and exchange visas, for seven other nations.
In December 2025, the White House updated the policy, extending restrictions to 39 countries effective January 1, 2026. Newly added nations under full bans include Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, with travellers using Palestinian Authority documents also barred. Partial restrictions now cover countries including Nigeria, Angola, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, limiting access to both immigrant and non‑immigrant visas, such as F (students), M (vocational), and J (exchange).
Visa policies for Nigerians were further tightened in July 2025, with the US Department of State limiting most non‑immigrant visas to single-entry permits valid for just three months, replacing the previous five-year multiple-entry system. These changes are part of a broader push to align international travel with US security standards and enforcement priorities.
Reports indicate that roughly 85,000 visas were revoked in 2025 as part of this crackdown, reflecting stricter screening and enforcement measures targeting both visitors and students.
Critics question whether the welfare figures are being used to justify these tougher immigration rules and whether they accurately reflect the broader economic contributions of Nigerian immigrants in the United States.
