BREAKING: Nigerians in US Fear Mass Deportations as Trump Revives Hardline Immigration Policy

Several Nigerians living in the United States (US) are currently experiencing heightened anxiety due to President Donald Trump’s renewed call for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.

This anxiety has been further fuelled by social media warnings and unverified videos allegedly showing United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducting raids in public spaces frequented by Africans.

A viral message circulating on platforms like WhatsApp warns: “If you know anybody that does not have American papers/ID, tell them to avoid African Markets and International Markets. ICE raided Saraga Market on Morse Road today in Columbus, Ohio, USA.”

The claim, however, remains unverified.

Adding to the panic, a widely shared video purports to show an ICE operation but appears unrelated, depicting what seems to be a highway incident with no clear connection to immigration enforcement.

The Trump administration has taken a hardline stance on immigration, with a focus on tightening border security and enforcing deportation laws.

Under Trump’s policy, thousands of Nigerians and other nationalities living in the US without proper documentation faced the risk of deportation.

Many of these individuals had lived in the US for years, building lives and families, but were unable to obtain citizenship due to various reasons.

The Trump administration’s aggressive approach to deportation may lead to a more significant increase in the number of Nigerians being sent back to their home country.

According to reports, over 1,000 Nigerians were deported from the US in 2019 alone, and there are fears that over 3,690 more are targeted to be deported by the new administration.

In the document compiled by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, the agency revealed the data was broken down by nationality and number of people faced with deportation.

It also clarified that as of November 24, 2024, there were 1,445,549 non-citizens on ICE’s non-detained docket with final removal orders.

In the document titled “Noncitizens on the ICE Non-Detained Docket with Final Orders of Removal by Country of Citizenship,” Mexico and El Salvador top the list of nations facing the most deportation, with 252,044 and 203,822, respectively.

Many Nigerians living in the US have been forced to live indoors since the beginning of the Trump administration, in fear of being caught unprepared by ICE, and separating them from their loved ones and disrupting their lives.

Speaking with THISDAY, a Nigerian living in Texas, USA, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “My life has been disrupted. I can’t even go out to work anymore.

“The fear of ICE is the beginning of wisdom. I just moved here two years ago, and am still trying to get my life together. I spent over N18 million while migrating here and am still in debt back in Nigeria.

“If I am ever deported, my life would crumble because how do I begin to pick up my life again from the debt I am in? I don’t even know how long this exercise will last.

“I can’t even work to earn money for the last three weeks. I even face the stigmatisation of being deported back home to Nigeria. We are all living in anxiety in this precarious Donald Trump regime.”

Also speaking with THISDAY on condition of anonymity, another Nigerian staying in New Jersey noted, “I have been here for 15 years, married to an American, although divorced, we shared three kids.

“But for some reasons, including my marriage situation, I have been having issues with having a green card. So where do I start? Leave my family and return to Nigeria to do what? Will my wife even allow me to go with my kids?

“The situation has caused me a lot of psychological stress. I operate a mini-supermarket where I sell an array of Nigerian products here in New Jersey. I can’t even restock anymore for now due to fear of being too exposed to ICE. We are all living in constant tension, uncertainty and fear.”

Meanwhile, in response to Trump’s deportation policy, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) said the federal government was ready to welcome deported Nigerians from the United States.

The Director of Media and Corporate Affairs of the commission, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, in a recent interview, said, “The federal government has set up an inter-agency committee, comprising the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NiDCOM, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, should there be mass deportation of Nigerians from the US.”