By Karen James
Washington, D.C. – The United States government, under President Donald Trump’s renewed immigration crackdown, is set to deport over 3,690 Nigerians as part of a sweeping deportation exercise targeting undocumented immigrants. The list, released by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), also includes thousands from Mexico and Nicaragua, who top the list of those being expelled.
The mass deportation drive, a central promise of Trump’s second-term campaign, began last week with hundreds of migrants arrested and others forcibly removed on military aircraft. The move marks the administration’s hardline approach to immigration enforcement, with officials pledging to intensify efforts in the coming weeks and months.
During his second inaugural speech at the Capitol Rotunda, Trump vowed to deport immigrants “at a level nobody has ever seen before.” His administration wasted no time, issuing executive actions to restrict border crossings, halt asylum applications, and overhaul the federal immigration court system.
The ICE, tasked with enforcing immigration laws, has justified the operation as necessary to protect national security and curb illegal immigration. The agency has already increased nationwide raids, particularly in major cities with large immigrant populations.
While Trump’s supporters praise the crackdown as a fulfillment of his America-first agenda, critics argue it disproportionately targets vulnerable communities and disrupts families. Legal advocacy groups are scrambling to provide support for affected immigrants, while protests against the deportations have erupted in several cities.
For now, thousands of immigrants, including Nigerians, remain in limbo, awaiting imminent removal from the United States as Trump’s immigration policy takes full effect.
