No fewer than 3690 Nigerians in the United States are facing imminent deportation as President Donald Trump, now serving as the 47th President, ramps up efforts to remove illegal immigrants from the country.
A document compiled by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and reviewed on Tuesday, sheds light on the situation.
The report details the number of non-citizens facing deportation, categorized by nationality.
According to the document titled “Noncitizens on the ICE Non-Detained Docket with Final Orders of Removal by Country of Citizenship”, as of November 24, 2024, ICE has recorded 1,445,549 non-citizens with final removal orders.
Among them, approximately 3,690 Nigerians are at risk of deportation.
The report further reveals that Mexico and Nicaragua have the highest number of individuals on the deportation list, with 252,044 and 45,955, respectively.
ICE, the agency responsible for safeguarding the U.S. against cross-border crimes and illegal immigration, has intensified its enforcement measures under Trump’s administration.
Last Thursday, the mass deportation initiative, which Trump had long promised, took full effect. Hundreds of migrants were arrested, while others were forcibly flown out of the country on military aircraft.
Reports indicated that Nigerians, along with other African nationals residing illegally in the U.S., may be among the next groups targeted for deportation.
The growing crackdown has sparked fear among many undocumented Nigerians, especially in light of Trump’s sweeping immigration policies.
Among his first actions upon taking office was signing a series of executive orders aimed at tightening immigration rules, including the revocation of birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants.
Declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, Trump ordered the deployment of additional troops and vowed to deport “criminal aliens” as part of his broader immigration agenda.
Meanwhile, diplomatic tensions flared between the U.S. and Colombia over deportation flights. Initially, Colombian President Gustavo Petro resisted allowing U.S. military aircraft carrying deportees to land in the country.
However, after facing pressure from the Trump administration, Petro ultimately relented.
On Sunday night, the White House issued a statement declaring that President Petro had “agreed to all of its terms,” leading the U.S. to hold off on imposing previously threatened tariffs and sanctions.
However, visa-related penalties would remain in place until the first group of deportees arrived in Colombia.
“Today’s events make clear to the world that America is respected again,” the White House statement asserted.
Shortly after, Colombia’s foreign ministry confirmed the resolution of the dispute, stating, “We have overcome the impasse with the United States government.”
The statement further assured that the country would accept all deportation flights and “guarantee dignified conditions” for returning Colombians.
Earlier in the day, Petro had openly opposed the deportation operation by preventing U.S. military planes carrying deportees from landing.
In response, Trump swiftly announced a series of economic measures against Colombia, including an immediate 25% tariff on all Colombian imports, which he threatened to raise to 50% within a week.
The Trump administration also vowed to enforce banking and financial sanctions against Colombia, revoke visas for Colombian government officials and their associates, and apply a travel ban.
Petro retaliated by announcing similar tariffs on U.S. imports into Colombia. He later escalated the situation by declaring that Colombian tariffs on American goods could rise to 50%.
The diplomatic back-and-forth underscores the global ramifications of Trump’s aggressive immigration policies as countries struggle to navigate his administration’s tough stance on illegal migration.
