Amid growing concerns over U.S. immigration policies, many Nigerian illegal immigrants in the United States have revealed that they have drastically reduced their movements to avoid the threat of arrest and deportation.
Since President Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th President, they have taken steps to minimize their public presence, with some even stopping work and avoiding places like churches and social gatherings, out of fear of being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Immigration Policies and Deportation Orders
According to a document compiled by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Removal Operations, around 3,690 Nigerians in the U.S. are facing deportation.
The document, titled Non-citizens on the ICE Non-Detained Docket with Final Orders of Removal by Country of Citizenship, lists Mexico and El Salvador as the countries with the highest numbers of deportations, with 252,044 and 203,822 cases, respectively.
As of November 2024, a total of 1,445,549 non-citizens were on ICE’s non-detained docket with final removal orders.
Upon taking office, President Trump signed a series of executive orders that were aimed at tightening immigration laws, including efforts to end birthright citizenship for children born to illegal immigrants. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice warned local and state authorities that they would face legal consequences if they did not comply with the administration’s strict immigration directives.
Trump’s Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, shared on her official X handle that the largest deportation operation in U.S. history was currently underway.
Fear and Sacrifice: Nigerians Staying Indoors
While deportation was initially targeted at immigrants with criminal records, Nigerian illegal immigrants fear that they too may be caught in the ongoing crackdown. Many have now limited their activities to just essential functions, staying home in order to avoid any potential run-ins with ICE officers.
One Nigerian immigrant from Tampa, Florida, who spoke with The Punch Newspaper explained the drastic measures he had taken to stay under the radar. “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 to arrest illegal immigrants at any time,” he said. He went on to describe how his social life had been deeply impacted: “I don’t go to church anymore because it is possible to be arrested there. For now, the only safe place is your house—stay indoors.”
In Tampa, the factory where he works employs many Nigerians and Africans, some of whom have also stopped going to work due to fears of deportation.
“The fear of Trump is the beginning of wisdom now,” he said, reflecting the palpable anxiety felt by many in the immigrant community. Despite the uncertainty, he remains hopeful:
“We survived Obama’s deportation actions; we will survive this one as well. We hope that the various lawsuits against the immigration policies will slow things down and eventually restrain Trump from carrying them out.”
The Unbearable Choice: Stay or Return to Nigeria?
While some Nigerian immigrants have expressed their deep desire to avoid returning to Nigeria, citing worsening conditions at home, many have also suffered personal losses in their attempts to secure legal residency. One immigrant, who left Nigeria in 2013, lamented the failed attempts to regularize his status.
“I have been trying to get my papers since then. I was scammed through marriage and other means. In this regularisation process, I have lost close to $30,000. 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.
Another Nigerian living in Columbus, Ohio, also shared his fears regarding the Trump administration’s immigration actions. Although Nigerians are not the primary targets, he noted that “any foreign national staying in the US illegally can be arrested and deported by ICE operatives at any time.”
He continued, “The truth is, Trump’s war on illegal immigrants has restricted our movements. People are mindful of where they go now. The situation is like a rat monitoring the presence of a cat before stepping out.”
Despite the constant fear, this immigrant emphasized that returning to Nigeria would be an even worse alternative: “My difficult living conditions here are still better than what is considered ‘comfortable’ in Nigeria.”
As of January 23, 538 illegal immigrants were deported from the U.S. as part of this ongoing operation. Yet, despite the sweeping deportations, many Nigerian immigrants remain hopeful that legal challenges to Trump’s policies may offer a reprieve.
A Nigerian journalist in the U.S. expressed the general sentiment shared by many: “If they ask all of us to go back to our countries, we will have no choice but to leave. It is their country. If Nigeria were a better place, nobody would have left in the first place, and many of us would be ready to go back home. But unfortunately, our country has been plagued by bad leadership.”
Many African immigrants, particularly in Republican-controlled states, have voiced their concerns over the growing deportation agenda. The pressure to remain unnoticed has taken a toll on the community, as movement restrictions continue to tighten.
As Nigerian immigrants in the U.S. continue to live under the shadow of deportation, they are adapting by limiting their public presence.
The fear of being detained by ICE officers has led many to avoid work, church, and public spaces, choosing to stay home instead. Despite the anxiety and uncertainty, there remains a glimmer of hope that legal challenges and potential policy changes will provide some relief in the future.
However, the risk of deportation continues to loom large for thousands of undocumented immigrants, and for many, returning to Nigeria is an option they cannot fathom due to the dire circumstances they face there.
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