President Donald Trump has signed a new Presidential Proclamation tightening entry into the United States for nationals of countries the White House describes as posing elevated security and public-safety risks, with Nigeria newly listed among nations facing partial travel restrictions.
The decision, announced on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, in a White House fact sheet titled “President Donald J. Trump Further Restricts and Limits the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States”, expands an existing framework of U.S. travel controls and was issued on December 16, 2025.
According to the White House, the move targets countries with what it called “demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing,” which, it said, undermine the United States’ ability to assess risks posed by incoming foreign nationals.
Nigeria is among 15 additional countries now subject to partial entry restrictions.
The others include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The latest action follows Trump’s October 31 designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” a move linked to allegations of widespread persecution of Christians in the country, claims that have sparked debate both within and outside Nigeria.
Describing the new Proclamation as a data-driven security measure, the White House said it was aimed at “strengthening national security through common-sense restrictions.”
Under the Proclamation, full travel restrictions remain in place for nationals of the original 12 countries listed in Proclamation 10949: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Five additional countries, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria—have now been placed under full restrictions. The measure also extends full entry limitations to individuals holding travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority.
Laos and Sierra Leone, which previously faced partial restrictions, have been escalated to full bans, while Burundi, Cuba, Togo and Venezuela continue to face partial limitations.
Despite the tougher stance, the White House said the policy allows for specific exemptions.
The White House stated that lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, diplomats, athletes, and other special visa categories are excluded from the restrictions, adding that individuals whose entry is deemed to serve U.S. national interests may also be granted access.
However, the Proclamation tightens family-based immigrant visa categories that the administration says carry “demonstrated fraud risks,” while maintaining the option of case-by-case waivers.
Explaining the rationale, the administration said the restrictions are designed to prevent entry by individuals “about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose.”
The fact sheet cited problems including widespread corruption, unreliable or fraudulent civil documentation, weak or non-existent birth registration systems, refusal to share passport samples or law-enforcement data, high visa-overstay rates, and failure by some governments to accept the return of deported nationals.
It also pointed to the existence of terrorism, criminal networks and extremist activity in several of the affected countries, as well as the use of citizenship-by-investment schemes that, according to the U.S., obscure identity and undermine vetting processes.
Quoting Trump directly, the document stated: “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 White House said the decision followed consultations with cabinet officials and security assessments conducted under Executive Order 14161, Proclamation 10949, and country-specific intelligence reviews.
The administration reiterated that similar travel restrictions have previously been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that such measures fall within presidential authority and are based on legitimate national-security objectives.
As part of the review process, the White House noted that Turkmenistan has improved cooperation with U.S. authorities. Consequently, the new Proclamation lifts restrictions on nonimmigrant visas for Turkmen nationals, though the suspension on immigrant visas remains in force.
The White House framed the latest action as a continuation of Trump’s broader immigration and border security agenda, stating that the President is “keeping his promise to restore travel restrictions on dangerous countries and to secure our borders.”
