The United States government is preparing to deport 3,690 Nigerians identified as residing illegally in the country, according to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
A document obtained by Fox News from ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and published on Tuesday revealed that these individuals have been on ICE’s non-detained docket with final orders of removal since November 24, 2024.
The non-detained docket includes those ordered to leave the US or in the process of deportation but not held in ICE custody.
The report indicates that Nigeria has the second-highest number of citizens facing deportation in Africa, following Somalia with 4,090. Ghana ranks third. Globally, Mexico tops the list with 252,044 nationals, followed by Guatemala (253,413), Honduras (261,651), and El Salvador (203,822). Other affected countries include China (37,908), Haiti (32,363), Iran (2,618), Pakistan (776), Uzbekistan (975), and Venezuela (22,749).
Since taking office on January 20, President Donald Trump has intensified immigration enforcement, fulfilling his campaign’s pledge to carry out “the largest deportation in American history.” ICE has already arrested over 3,500 undocumented immigrants nationwide, with deportation flights underway. Some of these flights, operated by US military aircraft, have faced criticism from Democrats, human rights groups, and foreign governments over alleged due process violations and mistreatment of deportees.
The Colombian government initially refused to accept its deported nationals, accusing the US of treating them like criminals by placing them in handcuffs and transporting them on military planes. However, after President Trump threatened tariffs, Colombia reversed its decision.
According to the Pew Research Center, an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants live in the US, a country with a population of 341 million.
ICE pointed out that all foreign governments are expected to cooperate in repatriating their citizens.
“The US Government requests foreign governments take appropriate steps to confirm the citizenship of noncitizens suspected to be their nationals, which include conducting interviews, issuing travel documents in a timely manner, and accepting the physical return of their nationals by scheduled commercial or charter flights consistent with ICE and/or foreign government removal guidelines.
“Lack of cooperation from countries in accepting the return of their nationals may lead to ICE classifying those countries as uncooperative or at risk of non-compliance,” the document states.
