Planning to travel to the US from Cameroon? Here’s what to know as Trump crackdown intensifies

By Hans Ngala

Nearly two months into President Donald Trump’s second term in office and he has made good on his promises to deport illegal aliens and those who may be in the country legally but have committed crimes as well. As Trump 2.0 intensifies his immigration crackdown, it is clear that his government is not only targeting criminals, but also those who express opinions that are deemed “anti-American”. This could mean expressing pro-Palestinian views or even criticizing President Trump himself.
The Trump government has notably gone for Palestinian activist, Mahmoud Khalil, a Green Card holder whose Green Card has been revoked and he’s currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention and could possibly be deported from the US to his home country of Palestine.
According to a report by ‘USA Today’, Lebanese doctor and assistant professor at Brown University Rasha Alawieh was flagged at Boston Logan International Airport by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) earlier this month. She was returning from visiting family back home when officers found photos and videos on her cell phone pertaining to Hezbollah. Her visa was immediately canceled, and she was deported back to Lebanon.
An Indian PhD student Ranjani Srinivasan at Columbia University also had her visa revoked after ICE tracked her social media and found pro-Palestinian activity and that she had participated in protests on campus in support of Palestine. She self-deported to Canada before ICE could get to her apartment.
Badar Khan Suri, another Indian student studying for a PhD at Georgetown University, has had his deportation delayed because a judge ruled that he could not be deported. But government officials accuse Suri of spreading “Hamas propaganda and antisemitism on social media, according to a statement shared with Fox News” USA Today reported. The report added that “Suri is living in the U.S. on a student visa, married to an American citizen, and has been detained in Alexandria, Louisiana, according to his lawyer. He is awaiting an immigration court date, his lawyer said”.

What Does All this Mean for Cameroonians in the US?

The recent actions being taken by the Trump administration have been criticized by some rights groups as a violation of free speech but the government continues with actions it deems to be in the interest of America’s security anyway.
This means that Cameroonians in the US should be careful about the commentary they make online and even in WhatsApp groups because ICE agents can approach you on the road and ask for your documentation and do a background check on you. Authorities are now known to ask for people’s phones, laptops and other electronic communication devices which they go through and even if you’re on a Green Card or valid visa, you can be deported back to Cameroon if your comments or groups that you belong to, are deemed to be “anti-American” or “pro-Palestinian”.
It is also advisable for Cameroonians in the US with Arab or Muslim friends, especially those who may have views deemed to be anti-Israeli, to be careful especially online. Having a Green Card or visa is not immunity against deportation. In fact, on March 20, the US embassy in Zambia posted on their official Facebook page the following: “U.S. visa screening does not stop after a visa is issued. We continuously check visa holders to ensure they follow all U.S. laws and immigration rules – and we will revoke their visas and deport them if they don’t”.

What Does this Mean for Cameroonians in Cameroon Intending to Travel to the US?

The same rules pretty much apply to Cameroonians at home intending to travel to the US for studies, business or tourism. Even those who have won the DV Lottery and are going for their visa appointment. The US is not entitled to grant you a visa just because you qualify for it. There is a lot that the embassy factors in before making a decision on a visa. If you’re applying for a study visa for example, the embassy will seek to find out if you are indeed a Bonafide student, where you studied in the past, what grades you got, why you want to study in the US, whether you have sufficient finances to pay for your studies and of course, whether you are a security threat to the US.
If you are deemed to have ties to hate groups, terrorist organizations etc, you will have your visa application rejected or if you don’t have sufficient funding and if the embassy determines that you do not intend to return to Cameroon after you complete your studies, you will also not be granted a visa.
In a nutshell, America has always vetted visa applicants but the Trump administration is being more rigorous in enforcing those rules and Cameroonian visa applicants should be aware of this. If you have content on your phone or social media that may be controversial (no matter how well-meaning), it would be better to scrape it off. Change your phone and get a new phone too (and also be aware that a new phone with fewer chats will just raise a red flag in the minds of immigration officials).
Cameroon is already on the US travel watchlist and has less than 60 days to clarify on some of these security concerns to the US government. Failure to do so by Cameroonian authorities could risk Cameroonians getting either a permanent ban in the “red list” or more visa restrictions in the “orange list”.