By Juliet Aliwo.
Washington, D.C. – A cloud of anxiety hangs over the Nigerian immigrant community in the United States as the Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on illegal immigration. Many undocumented Nigerians are reportedly living in fear, restricting their movements and avoiding public places to evade arrest and deportation.
This heightened apprehension follows the release of a document from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations, revealing that 3,690 Nigerians in the US face deportation. The document, titled ‘Non-citizens on the ICE Non-Detained Docket with Final Orders of Removal by Country of Citizenship,’ lists Nigeria among the countries with a significant number of individuals facing removal. While Mexico and El Salvador have the highest numbers on the docket, with 252,044 and 203,822 respectively, the figure for Nigerians underscores the scale of the potential deportations.
The Trump administration’s hardline stance on immigration, implemented shortly after his inauguration, has fueled these fears. The Justice Department’s threat to prosecute local and state authorities who fail to cooperate with immigration directives further underscores the administration’s commitment to its policies. Recent deportation operations, including the removal of 538 individuals on January 23rd, and claims from Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt of “the largest deportation operation in history” being underway, have amplified concerns within immigrant communities.
A Nigerian man residing in Florida, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the pervasive fear among undocumented immigrants. “We have stopped going out, no more work and church,” he said. “The situation is terrible as we live in fear. In spite of that, we believe the situation is better than the hardship and insecurity in Nigeria.” He added that many Nigerians, along with other African immigrants, have ceased working to avoid detection by ICE agents.
While the Nigerian government has acknowledged that 201 Nigerians are currently in US custody awaiting deportation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that the date and time of their removal have not yet been officially communicated to the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, D.C. Acting spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa emphasized the established diplomatic protocol of notifying the embassy before any deportations take place. “The total number of 201 Nigerians is currently in their custody for deportation, but the date and time for deportation have not been communicated,” Ebienfa stated. “And there is no way they will be deported to Nigeria without communication with the embassy in Washington DC.”
The situation remains fluid, and the Nigerian community in the US is bracing for potential further developments as the Trump administration continues to implement its immigration policies.
