The Trump administration, along with Republican leaders, is looking into the persecution faced by Nigerian Christians and is taking steps to limit visas for people involved in global religious persecution.
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that the State Department would “restrict U.S. visas to individuals who knowingly direct, authorize, finance, support, or carry out violations of religious freedom.”
While these measures specifically address the situation in Nigeria, they also target governments and individuals globally who are guilty of religious persecution, Rubio noted.
Sean Nelson, a senior legal advocate for religious rights at ADF International, pointed out that Rubio is utilizing a provision in the Immigration and Nationality Act that permits visa denial if there is “probable cause to believe.” He suggested that this could have broad implications for U.S. foreign relations. Nelson viewed the directive as implying that those in the U.S. who support persecution of religious minorities tarnish the country’s image, potentially damaging its foreign policy.
I want to emphasize why this is such a great and important step. @SecRubio. 👇
Not only is he setting targeted sanctions on Christian persecutors in Nigeria, which is very important, but it is also very important to identify Islamic terrorists and Fulani people… https://t.co/vfdXyWmNSS
— Sean Nelson (@Sean_ADFIntl) December 3, 2025
President Trump highlighted issues in Nigeria on October 31 when he labeled the country a “country of particular concern.” This designation followed reports of Islamic extremists killing thousands of Christians.
It gives the administration the authority to employ sanctions and other foreign policy actions against Nigeria. Furthermore, Trump has called on West Virginia Rep. Riley Moore and the House Appropriations Committee to investigate the situation and report back. Recently, the committee hosted a roundtable on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
The committee engaged with experts on religious freedom and foreign policy to explore how Congress might respond to the plight of Nigerian Christians. Rep. Moore stated, “Our brothers and sisters in Christ are being persecuted and slaughtered simply for professing faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” He added that global indifference to the persecution of Christians in Nigeria can no longer continue.
Rep. Brian Mast, a Florida Republican, asserted that what’s happening in Nigeria isn’t merely “communal violence” or a “resource conflict,” but rather a “targeted religious cleansing campaign.” He believes its purpose is to drive Christians from their lands and enforce a radical Islamist ideology.
🇳🇬 It is time to turn the tide and protect religious freedom in Nigeria. @Sean_ADFIntl today’s @HouseAppropsGOP Roundtable:
“This is a real chance to stop one of the world’s worst persecution situations. We don’t have to wait until it’s too late. We can act… pic.twitter.com/rF28klztsZ
— ADF International (@ADFIntl) December 2, 2025
Ebenezer Obadare, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations focusing on African studies, addressed the committee about the unchecked jihadist groups fueling the conflict. He cited Boko Haram as a significant player in these events.
According to him, “Boko Haram’s brutal campaign to overthrow the Nigerian state and create an Islamic caliphate is the core of Nigeria’s current issues.” Obadare insisted that any plan to alleviate the Nigerian crisis must include efforts to weaken and ultimately eradicate Boko Haram.
“Washington must maintain pressure,” he urged, emphasizing the need for the U.S. to encourage Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu to take action against extremist groups.
Obadare added that the U.S. should collaborate with Nigeria’s military to neutralize Boko Haram and push Tinubu to disband the group, which aims at imposing Islamic law on all individuals, regardless of their faith.
Nelson also contributed to the roundtable discussions, sharing cases concerning Christians imprisoned under sharia law, legal challenges faced by missionaries, and the kidnapping and torture of Christians. He poignantly recounted visiting villages that had been targeted by Fulani armed groups, describing the devastating scenes he witnessed—beheadings, mass graves, and destruction of homes and farms—expressing a lingering sense of vulnerability for Christians amidst such religiously motivated violence.
