US lists nearly 3,700 Nigerians for deportation, fear grips them and other Africans
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
About 3,690 Nigerians living illegally in the United States are listed for deportation as Donald Trump turns his wrath on Africans after deporting hundreds of Latinos and Indians within a week, in his quest to rid the country of (Black) immigrants while sparing their (White) Caucasian counterparts – some of whom are his relatives.
A document compiled by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations shows a breakdown by nationality and number of people up for deportation.
It disclosed that as of 24 November 2024, there are 1,445,549 non-citizens on ICE non-detained docket with final removal orders.
The document, titled “Noncitizens on the ICE Non-Detained Docket with Final Orders of Removal by Country of Citizenship”, shows top two countries with nationals for deportation as Mexico (252,0440) and El Salvador (203,822).
ICE has responsibility to protect the US from cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threaten national security.
Hundreds of migrants were arrested and others flown out of the country on military aircraft on January 23 as Trump’s promised mass deportation got underway.
Nigerians and other African immigrants may be the next target and the fear of deportation has gripped members of the Nigerian community who are living illegally in the country, per reporting by The PUNCH.
Trump, on his inauguration day as the 47th US President on January 20, signed a series of executive orders to harden immigration policies, including stoppage of birthright citizenship for children of non-citizens.
A federal court has halted implementation of the order on birthright citizenship but Trump plans appeal, even up to the Supreme Court where the outcome is dicey.
Trump has also signed orders to declare a national emergency at the Mexico-US southern border, deploying more troops to the area to deport “criminal aliens”.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro says he will allow US military planes to fly deportees into the country after initially turning two transports back in response to what he called inhumane treatment.
Trump and Petro had engaged in a war of words on Sunday after Colombia’s move to block use of US military aircraft in deporting hundreds of immigrants.
But later in the day, the White House released a statement explaining that because Petro had agreed to all of its terms, the tariffs and sanctions Trump threatened would be “held in reserve.”
Other penalties against Colombia, such as visa sanctions, will remain in effect until the first planeload of deportees has arrived in the country, the statement stressed.
“Today’s events make clear to the world that America is respected again,” it added.
Colombian foreign ministry released a statement soon afterwards saying, “We have overcome the impasse with the United States government” and the country would accept all deportation flights and “guarantee dignified conditions” for Colombians on board.
Petro began the day by announcing that he had turned back US military planes carrying deported immigrants. This set off a furious back and forth with Trump, who in turn announced a barrage of tariffs and sanctions targeting the country, a hitherto top US ally in Latin America.
Trump announced on social media that the US would immediately impose a 25 per cent tariff on all Colombian imports and raise them to 50 per cent after a week.
He also threatened to “fully impose” banking and financial sanctions on Colombia, apply a travel ban on its government officials and their associates, and revoke their visas.
Petro hit back on social media. In one post, he announced retaliatory tariffs of 25 per cent on US imports to Colombia; and in another, longer post, said those tariffs would rise to 50 per cent.
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