WASHINGTON — The United States has temporarily frozen green card and citizenship applications for Nigerians and nationals from 19 other countries recently added to an expanded travel ban, halting legal immigration pathways for thousands already living in America.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services stopped processing the applications in December, primarily affecting immigrants from selected African and Asian nations who were seeking to adjust their immigration status or obtain American citizenship, CBS News reported Friday.
A U.S. official confirmed to CBS News on condition of anonymity that USCIS extended the suspension to nationals of countries added to the travel ban this week when President Donald Trump expanded restrictions to cover 20 additional nations.
The administration directed USCIS to freeze all immigration petitions, including permanent residency and citizenship applications, from nationals of 19 countries covered by a travel ban announced in June. That directive came after a Thanksgiving week shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C., allegedly carried out by an Afghan national.
Following that incident, the administration suspended asylum case decisions handled by USCIS and halted processing of all immigration and visa applications from Afghan nationals.
Trump announced Tuesday he was expanding the travel ban to include 20 additional countries—fully barring entry from five nations and partially restricting travel from 15 others.
The complete travel ban applies to Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria.
Fifteen countries face partial restrictions: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The suspension affects individuals already living legally in the United States who filed applications to change their immigration status or pursue citizenship. Many had established lives in America, working legally while awaiting decisions on their petitions for permanent residency or naturalization.
The freeze applies to cases handled by USCIS, the federal agency responsible for administering the country’s lawful immigration system, including processing applications for green cards, citizenship, work permits and asylum.
The timing and scope of the suspension remain unclear, as does whether USCIS will continue accepting new applications from affected countries or merely halt decisions on pending cases.
The Trump administration has not publicly announced the processing freeze, and USCIS has not issued formal guidance to applicants from the newly restricted countries.
The expansion of travel restrictions and accompanying immigration processing freeze represents one of the most significant policy shifts affecting legal immigration since Trump returned to office, impacting thousands of people who followed legal pathways to seek permanent residence or citizenship in the United States.
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