- Over 1.4 million illegal immigrants with final removal orders face deportation in the US under Trump’s intensified immigration policies
- About 3,690 Nigerians are included in the deportation list, sparking fear among undocumented immigrants
- Mexico and El Salvador lead with the highest numbers of deportees at 252,044 and 203,822, respectively
Approximately 3,690 Nigerians in the United States face deportation as President Donald Trump intensifies a crackdown on illegal immigration.
According to a document compiled by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and its Enforcement and Removal Operations unit, 1,445,549 non-citizens with final removal orders are on ICE’s non-detained docket as of November 24, 2024.
The document, titled “Noncitizens on the ICE Non-Detained Docket with Final Orders of Removal by Country of Citizenship,” provides a breakdown of deportees by nationality, revealing that Mexico and El Salvador lead the list with 252,044 and 203,822 individuals, respectively.
ICE, tasked with protecting the US from cross-border crime and illegal immigration, has ramped up operations to enforce Trump’s executive orders aimed at strengthening immigration policies.
Nigerians and other African nationals have expressed growing fear of deportation following Trump’s recent immigration directives.
The president, who was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States, signed orders to end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants, declare a national emergency at the US-Mexico border, and deploy additional troops to strengthen border security.
Hundreds of migrants have already been arrested, with some deported via military aircraft as part of a mass deportation campaign. Nigerian immigrants in the US are among those bracing for potential removal.
The crackdown has also stirred tensions with other countries.
Last week, Colombia initially resisted Trump’s deportation policies, blocking US military planes carrying deportees from landing in its territory. This led to a heated exchange between Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
Trump announced a series of retaliatory measures, including a 25% tariff on Colombian imports, with plans to raise it to 50% after a week.
He also threatened banking and financial sanctions, visa restrictions on Colombian officials, and travel bans.
Petro responded with his tariffs on US imports and denounced what he called the inhumane treatment of deportees.
However, the dispute ended after Petro agreed to allow deportation flights to land, guaranteeing “dignified conditions” for Colombian nationals on board.
The Trump administration has framed these actions as necessary to restore order and national security, with the White House asserting, “Today’s events make clear to the world that America is respected again.”
The ongoing deportation efforts highlight the growing challenges faced by undocumented immigrants and the diplomatic strains these policies have created between the US and its allies.
Below is the full list of affected nationalities, with Mexico and El Salvador at the top:
US halts issuing passports with gender-neutral ‘X’ marker following Trump’s order
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that following United States President Donald Trump’s order of the government’s non-recognition of transgender identity, the State Department stopped issuing passports with a gender-neutral “X” option.
The halting of the gender-neutral markers on passports reverses the option, first introduced under former President Joe Biden’s administration in October 2021.
