By BONIFACE AKARAH

A coalition of Nigerian and U.S.-based civil society organisations has appealed to President Donald Trump to reverse immigration restrictions affecting Nigerians, halt deportations and grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to eligible Nigerian nationals, warning that current policies are exposing Christians fleeing violence to grave danger.

The appeal was contained in a petition issued by the U.S.-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition, which argued that the United States should review its immigration policies towards Nigerians in light of worsening insecurity and religious persecution in parts of the country. The coalition said it was making “an urgent, impassioned plea to the Trump administration” to “halt the forced removal of Nigerian nationals to a homeland where their safety cannot be guaranteed.” It further urged the administration to “grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to those fleeing what local leaders describe as an active genocide,” while maintaining that “America has always been a shining beacon of religious freedom and a sanctuary for the oppressed.”

According to the coalition, current immigration restrictions have created a humanitarian crisis for Nigerians in the United States, particularly Christians who fear returning home because of attacks by armed groups.

It alleged that thousands of displaced Nigerian Christians who had previously been cleared for resettlement in the United States remain stranded in refugee camps in Cameroon after the visa restrictions halted their relocation.

“The previous U.S. administration had cleared thousands of displaced Christians, currently languishing in temporary refugee camps in Cameroon, for resettlement in the United States. However, the current administration’s blanket visa freeze halted those resettlements entirely,” the coalition said.

The group also claimed that Nigerians continue to pay non-refundable visa application fees despite facing widespread denials under the current immigration policy.

“Shockingly, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria continues to collect millions of dollars in non-refundable visa application fees from desperate families, only to issue blanket denials under the new policy,” it stated.

The coalition cited the case of Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, a Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) leader in Plateau State, who it said was unable to attend a faith event in Washington after being denied a U.S. visitor visa.

According to the coalition, Dachomo had drawn international attention after appearing in a viral video standing beside the graves of church members allegedly killed by terrorists, during which he appealed to the United States for intervention.

It noted that although President Trump later shared the video on his Truth Social platform and warned of possible consequences if Nigeria failed to protect Christians, the cleric was still unable to secure a visa to participate in a U.S.-Nigeria faith conference.

The coalition maintained that the current situation had created what it described as a contradiction between America’s public condemnation of religious persecution in Nigeria and its immigration policy towards Nigerians seeking protection.

“We are asking for mercy,” **the coalition said. “Do not let bureaucratic bans become a death sentence for those who look to the United States for salvation.”

Among its demands, the coalition called for an immediate suspension of deportations involving Nigerians whose safety could be endangered upon return, the granting of Temporary Protected Status to law-abiding Nigerians already living in the United States, and a review of visa policies affecting clergy and victims of religious persecution.

It also launched a public petition urging supporters to back its campaign for an end to what it described as visa restrictions on Nigerians travelling to the United States.