As the Trump administration intensifies its deportation crackdown, many Nigerian illegal immigrants in the United States have gone into hiding, limiting their movements to avoid arrest and deportation.
Despite the growing fear, some affected individuals remain hopeful that lawsuits challenging President Donald Trumpās immigration policies will offer them protection. Many have stopped going to work, church, and other public places, opting instead to stay indoors.
3,690 Nigerians Face Deportation
According to a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) report, about 3,690 Nigerians are currently facing deportation. The document, titled āNon-citizens on the ICE Non-Detained Docket with Final Orders of Removal by Country of Citizenship,ā reveals that Mexico and El Salvador top the list of nations with the highest deportation figures.
The report also indicates that as of November 24, 2024, a total of 1,445,549 non-citizens were on ICEās non-detained docket with final removal orders.
On his first day in office, Trump signed executive orders tightening immigration laws, including the termination of birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants.
His administration also threatened legal action against state and local officials who fail to comply with federal deportation directives.
Following these measures, 538 undocumented immigrants were deported from the US on January 23.
āWe No Longer Go Outā ā Nigerian Immigrants Speak
Trumpās Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, recently announced via her official X handle that the US government is carrying out the largest deportation operation in history.
Reports suggest that Nigerians and other African immigrants could be among the next targets.
Some affected Nigerians, speaking anonymously to Punch Online, shared their fears and coping strategies.
One illegal immigrant in Tampa, Florida, revealed that he had stopped going to work to avoid being arrested by ICE officers.
āEver since Trump came to power and acted on his threat of deportation, some of us have stopped going to work because ICE officers can raid workplaces to arrest illegal immigrants at any time,ā he said.
Another undocumented Nigerian in Columbus, Ohio, explained that while Nigerians may not be the primary focus of deportation efforts, all undocumented foreigners remain at risk.
āI cannot assume that Nigerians are not their target now and become exposed to them. No. The best self-defense is to stay out of trouble, and the best way to avoid being deported is to stay out of sight of ICE officers,ā he said.
A Nigerian journalist in the US added that Trumpās policies have caused widespread anxiety among African immigrants.
āIf they ask all of us to go back to our countries, we will have no choice but to leave. It is their country. If Nigeria were a better place, nobody would have left in the first place, and many of us would be ready to go back home. But unfortunately, our country has been plagued by bad leadership,ā he stated.
Nigerian Government Monitors Situation
The Federal Government has confirmed that 201 Nigerians are currently in US custody awaiting deportation. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the exact date and time of their return have not been communicated.
Acting ministry spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, explained that diplomatic protocols require US authorities to notify the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC, before any mass deportation.
āThe total number of 201 Nigerians are currently in their custody for deportation, but the date and time for deportation have not been communicated. And there is no way they will be deported to Nigeria without communication with the embassy in Washington, DC,ā he said.
He assured that relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerian Immigration Service, and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, are monitoring the situation closely and will take necessary steps to ensure the deportees are properly received and reintegrated.
