The United States Mission in Nigeria (USMN) has announced a temporary suspension of regular updates on its official X account due to a lapse in US government appropriations, while assuring the public that passport and visa services will continue as the situation permits.
The Mission said in a post on its verified X handle on Saturday that the account will not be updated regularly until full operations resume “with the exception of urgent safety and security information.”
The Mission clarified that scheduled passport and visa services in the United States and at U.S. embassies and consulates overseas would continue, depending on how the situation unfolds.
“At this time, scheduled passport and visa services in the United States and at US Embassies and Consulates overseas will continue during the lapse in appropriations as the situation permits,” the statement read.
It advised members of the public seeking information on services and operating status to visit the official US travel website and said further updates would only be provided once full operations resume, except in cases involving urgent safety or security matters.
Funding for many U.S. federal agencies expired at 12 a.m. on Saturday after Congress failed to pass half a dozen spending bills before the deadline, prompting a partial government shutdown.
The funding lapse comes despite the Senate voting late Friday to approve a five-bill package and extend funding for the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks, which had been the sticking point in the upper chamber. The deal struck between Senate Democrats and the White House still needs to be approved by the House, which is set to return to Washington on Monday.
“Instead of going after drug smugglers, child predators, and human traffickers, the Trump Administration is wasting valuable resources targeting peaceful protestors in Chicago and Minneapolis,” Senate Democratic Minority Whip Dick Durbin posted on social media…This Administration continues to make Americans less safe.”