A new report has revealed that the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported 902 Nigerians between 2019 and 2024.
According to ICE’s 2024 Annual Report, although deportations dropped from 286 Nigerians in 2019 to 138 in 2024, Nigeria still accounts for the highest number of deportations from Africa.
The report also stated that 3,690 more Nigerians currently face deportation, as removal orders are hanging over them.
It was noted that deportations of Nigerians increased sharply during the first two full years of Donald Trump’s administration in 2018 and 2019. There are fears that deportations could rise again in 2025 under a renewed crackdown.
Across Africa, Senegal was second on the deportation list with 716 removals, followed by Ghana with 582, and Mauritania with 491. Other African countries affected include Egypt, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Kenya, and Guinea.
The report explained that the increase in deportations was partly due to the Electronic Nationality Verification (ENV) programme, which made it easier and faster for consular officers to verify identities and approve deportations.
Outside Africa, Mexico had the highest number of deportations with 434,827 removals during the same period. Other countries with high numbers include Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Colombia, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic.
According to ICE, deportations are carried out under the Immigration and Nationality Act. People can be deported for reasons such as unlawful entry, visa overstaying, fraud, criminal convictions, or national security concerns.
The report also recalled that in January 2017, former President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 13768, which expanded ICE’s powers to remove anyone without lawful status. This led to a 30 per cent rise in arrests and increased deportations of Nigerians.
However, in 2021, President Joe Biden introduced new guidelines that focused deportations mainly on serious criminals and recent entrants. This caused a sharp drop in deportations. Only 78 Nigerians were deported in 2021 and 49 in 2022.
ICE defines “removal” as the confirmed forced movement of a non-citizen out of the United States after a final removal order. The process includes court hearings, medical clearances, and securing travel documents before deportation.
In February 2025, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, during a meeting with US Ambassador Richard Mills Jr., urged the US to treat Nigerian deportees with dignity.
“We are asking as a country whether they will be given ample time to handle their assets or will they just be bundled into planes and repatriated?” she asked, stressing the emotional and financial pain deportations can cause.
She further argued that deportations, especially for those without any violent crime record, should not be rushed or traumatic.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) also assured that it is ready to receive deported Nigerians.
“The Federal Government has set up an inter-agency committee, comprising the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NiDCOM, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and Office of the National Security Adviser, should there be mass deportation of Nigerians from the US,” NiDCOM’s Director of Media and Corporate Affairs, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said.
