The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deported 902 Nigerians since the beginning of the 2019 fiscal year, according to the agency’s 2024 Annual Report. Additionally, 3,690 Nigerians remain under final removal orders, awaiting deportation.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

While deportations of Nigerians decreased by 51.7% from 286 cases in 2019 to 138 in 2024, ICE’s country-specific data showed a sharp rise in deportations during former President Donald Trump’s first two years in office. Analysts warn that 2025 may witness another increase following renewed immigration crackdowns.

Among African nations, Nigeria recorded the highest number of deportations to the US, followed by Senegal with 716 expulsions, 410 of which occurred in 2024 alone. Ghana and Mauritania followed with 582 and 491 removals, respectively, with Mauritania witnessing a significant rise from 58 to 353 deportations between 2023 and 2024.

The report credited the sharp rise to the expansion of the Electronic Nationality Verification (ENV) programme, which expedited the clearance process by enabling digital verification of identities. This advancement allowed ICE to execute quicker deportations, often through chartered weekend flights to several African destinations.

Other notable African countries affected included Egypt (467), Somalia (406), the Democratic Republic of Congo (395), Liberia (379), Kenya (335), and Guinea (294), among others.

Beyond Africa, Mexico remained the leading deportation destination with over 434,827 removals from 2019 to 2024. Significant numbers were also reported in Guatemala (185,713), Honduras (142,349), and El Salvador (65,268).

The 10 most affected countries accounted for nearly 75% of the 271,484 deportations recorded in 2024 — ICE’s busiest year since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

ICE clarified that deportations are authorized under the US Immigration and Nationality Act and are typically enforced for reasons including unlawful entry, visa overstays, fraud, criminal activity, or threats to national security.

In January 2017, Executive Order 13768 expanded ICE’s operational scope under the Trump administration, resulting in a 30% surge in arrests that year, including an uptick in Nigerian deportations. ICE removals peaked at 267,258 in 2019, with Nigerian removals hitting 286.

However, under President Joe Biden’s 2021 directive to prioritize serious criminal offenders and recent entrants, overall deportations and Nigerian removals plummeted, reaching a low of 78 Nigerians deported that year. The figure dropped further to 49 in 2022 due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and adjusted enforcement strategies. A Supreme Court ruling in 2024 has since reinstated those enforcement priorities fully.

ICE defines “removal” as the enforced relocation of a non-citizen following a judicial or administrative removal order, often involving weeks of coordination across immigration courts, local jails, and consular offices.

Meanwhile, in February, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, appealed to the US government for a more humane deportation process, stressing the emotional and financial toll abrupt deportations place on affected individuals.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has announced readiness to assist returnees, coordinating efforts with several government agencies to manage potential mass deportations.