No fewer than 5,144 Nigerians may be affected in the initial phase of the ongoing deportation exercise by the United States as President Donald Trump’s administration intensifies its crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
According to data from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), 3,690 Nigerians are currently on the non-detained docket with final orders of removal, while an additional 1,454 are in detention, awaiting deportation.
Of those in ICE custody, 772 individuals were detained due to criminal convictions or pending charges, while the remaining were arrested for immigration violations such as visa overstays. The latest figures indicate that 417 Nigerians were deported as of November 2024, bringing the total number of removals between 2019 and 2024 to 884.
The newly inaugurated Trump administration has escalated efforts to enforce immigration laws, targeting individuals with final orders of removal. The crackdown has led to the arrest of nearly 3,000 undocumented immigrants with criminal records in recent days. While the initial focus was on those with known criminal histories, concerns are growing that authorities will extend enforcement to include undocumented immigrants without criminal records.
ICE defines the “non-detained docket” as a list of removable non-citizens residing in the U.S. but not held in detention. A final order of removal is typically issued to individuals who have violated immigration laws, have a criminal conviction, or possess expired immigration status.
ICE stated that various factors could delay or prevent deportations, including claims for asylum, withholding of removal, or protection under the Convention Against Torture. Additionally, lack of cooperation from foreign governments can hinder removals.
Despite reports of the looming deportations, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) stated it had not received formal confirmation of Nigerians being processed for removal. However, NiDCOM’s Director of Media and Corporate Affairs, Abdurahman Balogun, noted that the Federal Government has established an inter-agency committee to address the situation if large-scale deportations occur.
The committee comprises representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NiDCOM, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
President Trump has directed the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), including agencies such as the U.S. Marshals, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, to assist in identifying and apprehending undocumented immigrants. Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Benjamin Huffman, emphasized that the initiative aims to fulfill the administration’s commitment to stricter immigration enforcement.
“This action empowers law enforcement officials to locate and remove individuals who have entered the country illegally,” Huffman stated. “For decades, efforts to apprehend illegal immigrants have lacked sufficient resources. This is a major step in addressing that issue.”
ICE Deputy Director Patrick J. Lechleitner reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to transparency, stating that enforcement data will be publicly shared to inform the public about ongoing immigration actions. He also confirmed that ICE has been directed to increase daily deportations to between 1,200 and 1,500 individuals.
With enforcement efforts escalating, undocumented Nigerians in the U.S. face increased risk of deportation as the Trump administration presses forward with its immigration crackdown.
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