-Anietie Udobit, Abuja
The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has identified nearly two million illegal immigrants for deportation, including 3,690 Nigerians, as part of President Donald Trump’s renewed crackdown on undocumented migrants.
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According to a document obtained by Fox News, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) reported that as of November 24, 2024, there were 1,445,549 non-citizens with final orders of removal on the agency’s non-detained docket.
Nigeria ranks second in Africa, following Somalia (4,090), while Ghana (3,228) holds the third spot.
Globally, Mexico has the highest number of deportation orders, with 252,044 individuals on the list.
The US government has urged affected nations, including Nigeria, to accept the return of their nationals, warning that lack of cooperation could result in diplomatic consequences.
A section of the ICE document stated: “Lack of cooperation from the foreign government delays and, in many cases, inhibits the removal process.
“The U.S. Government requests foreign governments take appropriate steps to confirm the citizenship of noncitizens suspected to be their nationals.”
The statement further urged countries to facilitate deportations by conducting interviews, issuing travel documents promptly, and accepting returnees via commercial or charter flights.
President Donald Trump, who returned to office after winning the November 2024 election, has made immigration enforcement a top priority.
On his first day in office, he signed executive orders declaring a national emergency at the US-Mexico border and deploying troops to tighten border security.