According to Punch, the recent wave of deportation crackdowns under President Donald Trump’s administration has forced many Nigerian illegal immigrants in the United States to go into hiding, drastically restricting their movements in an effort to avoid arrest and deportation....CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING.>>
Following Trump’s inauguration as the 47th President of the United States, his administration wasted no time in implementing aggressive immigration policies, leaving thousands of undocumented Nigerians living in fear.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!According to data from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), approximately 3,690 Nigerians are currently facing deportation. The report, titled “Non-citizens on the ICE Non-Detained Docket with Final Orders of Removal by Country of Citizenship,” reveals that as of November 24, 2024, over 1.4 million non-citizens had pending deportation orders, with countries like Mexico and El Salvador topping the list.
Trump’s executive orders, signed immediately after his swearing-in, include controversial measures such as the termination of birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants.
Adding to the fear, Trump’s Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed on her official X handle that the “largest deportation operation in US history is underway.”
For many Nigerians, the fear of deportation has become a daily reality. In interviews with Saturday PUNCH, several undocumented Nigerians shared their struggles, speaking anonymously to protect their identities.
A Nigerian man living in Tampa, Florida, revealed that he had stopped going to work to avoid potential ICE raids. “Ever 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 at any time,” he said.
His fear extends beyond the workplace. “I don’t go to church anymore because it’s possible to be arrested there. For now, the only safe place is your house—stay indoors,” he added.
Despite these challenges, he remains cautiously optimistic, hoping that the lawsuits filed against Trump’s immigration policies will eventually ease the crackdown. “We survived Obama’s deportation actions; we will survive this one as well.”
Another Nigerian living in Columbus, Ohio, echoed similar sentiments, stating that he had also limited his movements since Trump’s inauguration.
“The truth is, Trump’s war on illegal immigrants has restricted our movements. People are mindful of where they go now. It’s like a rat watching out for a cat before stepping out,” he explained.
For many, returning to Nigeria is not an option. “Going back to Nigeria is not an option—not when millions are trying to leave because of hardship and insecurity.
My difficult living conditions here are still better than what’s considered ‘comfortable’ in Nigeria,” he said.
The process of legalizing their stay has been both financially and emotionally draining for many undocumented Nigerians. One man, who left Nigeria for the US in 2013, recounted his failed attempts to secure residency. “I have been trying to get my papers since then.
I was scammed through fake marriage schemes and other means. In this regularisation process, I’ve lost close to $30,000,” he lamented.
His attempts to file for asylum were also unsuccessful due to legal complications related to his prolonged undocumented status.
“At a point, I wanted to file for asylum, but I was advised against it because I had spent over three years without valid papers,” he explained, adding that he now relies on under-the-table jobs to survive.
The fear of deportation has even extended to religious institutions. A Nigerian lawyer based in the US revealed that many Nigerian churches are now advising undocumented members to attend online services.
“Some people have gone underground. Nigerian churches are advising their congregations to worship online and not come to church if they are undocumented,” the lawyer said.
An Uber driver in New York, identified simply as Mathew, shared that many of his Nigerian colleagues had also stopped working due to fear. “A lot of my Nigerian colleagues are not coming out for now. They can’t just risk it. They’re all afraid of deportation,” he stated.
A Nigerian journalist living in the US provided a broader perspective on the situation, highlighting the root causes of migration. “If they ask all of us to go back to our countries, we’ll have no choice but to leave. It’s their country.
But if Nigeria were a better place, nobody would have left in the first place,” he said, pointing to Nigeria’s ongoing struggles with bad governance, economic hardship, and insecurity.
