The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) says its tougher visa-related review measures for Nigerians are driven by concerns about document credibility. In filings and remarks at the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, USCIS Deputy Director Angelica Alfonso-Royals described the agency’s allegations that some Nigerian records are affected by forgery and corruption. She also pointed to what USCIS characterizes as inconsistent or delayed civil registration processes, including birth and death registrations that may not occur at the time of the event and may be completed years later, and marriage or divorce events that may not be recorded in formal government databases or where record-keeping is poor. USCIS said it defends decisions to place an adjudicative hold on pending immigration benefit requests involving applicants from Nigeria and 38 other countries. The agency linked the hold to the countries being restricted from entering the United States amid terrorism and public safety concerns, referencing President Donald Trump’s December 2025 and January 2026 proclamations.