The fear of detention at ports of entry and sudden cancellation of visas have forced some Nigerians in the United States to shelve planned trips for Detty December.
This was after US President Donald Trump imposed fresh travel restrictions on Nigerians.
Detty December is a term in Nigeria referring to the festive season often marked with parties, concerts, family reunion, homecomings and celebrations.
Detty, a Pidgin twist of ‘dirty,’ implies loose and wild fun.
Findings by Saturday PUNCH indicate that Nigerians with valid US visas have cancelled their trips, worried that they may be denied re-entry or even removed upon arrival back in the US.
The fear, according to several persons who spoke to our correspondents, extends to long-time travellers, students and even green card holders.
A visa holder said the tension surrounding the new US policy was so intense that he advised his son not to return to Nigeria for Christmas.
Since its inception, the Trump administration has steadily rolled out a series of visa restrictions and travel bans targeting Nigeria and several other countries.
He has cited the need to reform the US immigration system, strengthen border security and improve the vetting of foreign nationals as justification for the decisions.
These measures, which have generated diplomatic unease and personal distress, reached a new phase with the latest proclamation signed by the US President on Tuesday.
The proclamation imposed travel restrictions on Nigerians and citizens of 16 other African countries.
According to the White House, holders of the B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M and J visas are barred from entering the United States from January 1, 2026.
The visa categories cover business and tourist travel, as well as students and exchange visitors, effectively affecting a broad spectrum of Nigerians.
Beyond security concerns, the US government also cited what it described as a high rate of visa overstays by Nigerian nationals as part of the justification for the restrictions.
Nigerians in US defer travel
Some Nigerians resident in the US said they decided against travelling home for Detty December because of associated risks.
A Nigerian contesting for a council seat in District 4 of Prince George’s County Council, Dr Juliet Agocha, said travelling home under the current climate could endanger her political ambitions.
She said, “It would pose a significant political risk for me to travel to Nigeria while actively running for the 2026 election. More than 18,000 Nigerian immigrants could be impacted by the Trump visa ban, and nobody wants to take unnecessary chances at this point.”
Similarly, a doctoral candidate and microbiologist at Indiana University noted that many Nigerian students had abandoned plans to travel home for the holidays.
He explained that many students had already completed extensive academic documentation as early as December 1, and travelling to Nigeria for Detty December could undo months of preparation.
“There is panic everywhere, especially among students. People are worried that if they leave the US now, the Trump administration might block them from coming back,” the student, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
According to him, some students had already called relatives in Nigeria to inform them that they would not be coming home as planned.
“It’s painful, but many feel it’s the safer option,” he added.
Another Nigerian student in Kansas, who also did not want to be identified, echoed similar sentiments.
He said, “Coming to Nigeria now is like telling him (Trump) that you’ve completed your programme. Even though I hold a valid visa, re-entry might be challenging. I feel he has something against Nigeria.”
A doctoral student at Ohio University, Dolapo Oyedoku, said prospective students planning to resume studies in January 2026 might face significant challenges entering the US.
According to Oyedoku, while the restrictions may not directly invalidate existing visas, they could result in increased denials and stricter scrutiny across all visa categories.
“At the point of entry, students may face intense questioning and additional scrutiny,” he said.
Nigerians shelve US trips
In the wake of Tuesday’s proclamation, Saturday PUNCH gathered that fear of revocation and detention also affected many Nigerians who already hold valid US visas.
Several individuals said they were unwilling to risk the emotional and financial trauma of being turned back at the US border or detained by immigration authorities.
An entrepreneur with about two years of validity remaining on his US visa said he had cancelled a trip scheduled for February 2026.
The Osogbo, Osun State-based businessman said the uncertainty surrounding the new rules made the journey too risky to attempt.
“I was supposed to visit Maryland in February next year, but I’m not going again,” he said. “I can’t take chances with what Trump is doing with visas. It’s better to wait and see how everything settles.”
The entrepreneur also recounted the experience of a close family member that reinforced his fears.
According to him, his aunt, who departed Nigeria on Tuesday for Houston, Texas, was detained on arrival at the airport despite holding a US green card and being a regular traveller between Nigeria and the United States.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said, “My aunt left Lagos on Monday and got to Houston on Tuesday. She was detained immediately on arrival, even though she has a green card and travels often. As I’m speaking with you today (Thursday), she is still with Customs at the airport. They haven’t allowed her to go. If this can happen to a green card holder, then no Nigerian is safe under this visa regime.”
He added that the prospect of being turned back or detained was too traumatic to contemplate.
“I can’t imagine spending all that money on tickets, only to be embarrassed and deported at the border. I will travel when the dust around this visa restriction settles,” he said.
A Nigerian-born US citizen, however, suggested that some of the difficulties faced by green card holders at ports of entry could be linked to unresolved legal issues.
He said, “I am aware that some green card holders are having problems re-entering the US after travelling abroad. In many cases, before Trump’s visa rules, some of them may have had minor criminal issues that were overlooked because of the privileges attached to holding a green card.”
According to him, the new enforcement posture means that past infractions, even those committed decades earlier, could now be scrutinised.
“With the new visa rules, anybody with a green card—especially Africans with any criminal record—will face challenges. They will be made to answer for those crimes, even if they happened 20 years ago. That is why some people are having issues with Customs and Immigration officers at airports.”
He also alleged that the policy had political undertones. “Trump’s visa policies are targeted at blacks. He believes we always support the Democrats. For him, this is political,” he said.
Another US visa holder based in Lagos told Saturday PUNCH that he had also shelved plans to visit the United States in January.
“Mr Trump is unpredictable,” he said. “Even if you have a valid visa today, it can be revoked tomorrow. What if I buy a ticket and suddenly receive a message that my visa has been cancelled? Who will refund my money?”
He added that the fear extended to family members already in the US.
“I have told my son, who wanted to come home to Nigeria for Christmas, to cancel his trip. Nobody knows what could happen. He could come home now and be denied entry back into the US, or have his visa revoked. We have to look at this logically,” he said.
US varsities suspend admission offers
Meanwhile, uncertainty about future access to student visas has prompted some universities to suspend admission offers.
In a post via his X handle, Dr Oludayo Sokunbi, a Canada-based Nigerian running a consultancy firm, Japa Consults, said someone from his platform who had got a fully-funded master’s scholarship in the US received an email to defer his admission to 2027.
He shared an email which he claimed the student received.
It read, “The White House issued an updated proclamation on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, that included updated restrictions on several countries from entering the United States. This order becomes effective at 12:01am. Eastern Daylight Time on Jan. 1, 2026.
“I am here to assure you that Arizona State University remains strongly committed to you. We believe that nothing should hinder your academic journey and goals. We are a problem-solving team, ready to help you find your next best step so you can keep moving forward with your education. Our commitment to our global mission, our ideals and to you is unwavering.
“While you are no longer eligible to start the in-person MGM in Fall 2026, we are excited to offer you two options for how to move forward. The first option is to have your MGM application considered for Fall 2027 instead, with the hope that the travel ban will be lifted by then.”
One @SamzyVG, equally shared a post from another varsity which withdraw admission offer to a student.
Several other users shared similar experiences.
‘Visa restrictions unfortunate’
Reacting to the development, the Chief Executive Officer of Cardinal E-School and Edu Services, Sulaimon Okewole, described the visa restrictions as an “unfortunate development” with far-reaching consequences.
According to Okewole, the policy was not merely a security measure but an action that could sever professional ties, disrupt academic aspirations and signal rejection to an entire nation. “This restriction may fracture families, stifle opportunity and pour diplomatic contempt on a relationship built over centuries on mutual respect and shared enterprise,” he said.
He warned that the move threatened to punish talent and ambition that contributed to progress in both Nigeria and the United States. “The United States, a nation of immigrants, is building a needless wall—not of brick, but of bureaucratic spite—and this diminishes us all. I hope this decision is reversed as quickly as possible,” Okewole said.
He advised Nigerians affected by the ban to explore alternative destinations such as Canada and the United Kingdom, which he said remained more welcoming to international students and professionals.
A Nigerian student preparing for a 2026 resumption in the United States, who identified himself only as Olayomi, said the ban had come at a particularly painful time.
According to him, many Nigerian students had already secured admission into US universities and paid non-refundable fees.
“I have paid deposits and joined several meetings in preparation for the 2026 academic year,” he said. “What should those of us who have paid deposits and are awaiting visa interviews do? We also paid application fees that schools will not refund.”
Olayomi appealed for a reversal of the policy.
“This decision could truncate our dreams. It is disheartening,” he said.
Offering a diplomatic perspective, a former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, Yemi Farounbi, said the visa policy appeared designed to pressure the Nigerian government rather than address genuine security concerns.
“Ideally, President Trump wanted to execute his plan based on what he called genocide,” Farounbi said. “It was supposed to target those in government, collaborators or security officials considered ineffective.”
According to him, the expansion of the policy to cover all Nigerians, including students and innocent travellers, suggested a loss of focus.
“When this is extended to everyone, including young people who only want to advance their education, then it is no longer targeted. At that point, it becomes counterproductive,” he said.
A retired ambassador, Mabdul Mohammed, said visa issuance is based on the trust that visitors will abide by the laws of their host countries.
He noted that Nigeria’s security status continues to influence Washington’s decisions.
“As long as Nigeria’s status remains as a Country of Particular Concern, the US authorities will continue to enforce these restrictions. The only way out is for Nigeria to intensify the fight against acts of terrorism, banditry and other forms of criminal violence.
“Until it is decimated to a minimum level, it will convince the US to remove Nigeria from the list and lift the restrictions,” Mohammed said.
Also, a foreign affairs analyst, Charles Onunaiju, said Nigerians should brace for more difficulties in engagements with the United States under Trump’s administration.
“Nigerians should be ready at all times for pushback, especially under Trump’s administration. While we continue to engage with the US, we should engage the world. Nigeria needs to diversify its diplomacy,” Onunaiju said.
When contacted on Friday to explain what steps the government was taking to address the travel restrictions, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, declined to comment.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, also did not answer calls or respond to messages as of the time of filing this report.
(Punch)
