Undocumented Nigerians in US abandon jobs, hide from Trump’s immigration raids

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.”