01
Feb
Feb
NIGERIAN IMMIGRANTS IN US LIVE IN FEAR OF DEPORTATION UNDER TRUMP’S POLICIES
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Nicolas Adekeye / 3 months
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- 3 min read
Many Nigerian immigrants in the United States are living in fear of deportation under President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Despite lawsuits filed against Trump’s policies, the immigrants are restricting their movements to public places to avoid being arrested and deported. According to reports, about 3,690 Nigerians in the US are facing deportation. The immigrants, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed optimism that the lawsuits would slow down the deportation process. However, they are taking precautions to avoid being arrested. One of the immigrants, who resides in Tampa, Florida, said he had stopped going to work and church to avoid being arrested. “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,” he said. Another immigrant in Columbus, Ohio, said he stopped going to work for the first week after Trump’s inauguration due to fear of being deported. “The best self-defence is to stay out of trouble, and the best way to avoid being deported is to stay out of sight of ICE officers,” he said. A Nigerian journalist in the US said many Africans in the country were anxious about Trump’s immigration policies. “If they ask all of us to go back to our countries, we will have no choice but to leave. It is their country. If Nigeria were a better place, nobody would have left in the first place, and many of us would be ready to go back home,” he stated. The Federal Government has confirmed that 201 Nigerians are currently in the custody of the US authorities and are ready for deportation. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the date and time of their deportation had not been communicated to the Federal Government. Meanwhile, Trump’s immigration policies have discouraged many Nigerians from traveling to the US. Many people who were considering the US as a destination for higher education have reconsidered, leading to a reduction in the number of people applying for US visas. Sulaimon Okewole, CEO of Cardinal E-School and Edu Services, said Trump’s executive orders had negatively impacted travel activities to the US. “Prospective international students from Nigeria are exploring alternative destinations due to uncertainty and fear about studying in the US,” he said. Wale Dada, a student seeking admission to the US, expressed sadness over the matter. “With what I have heard about the orders, I do not think I will proceed with the preparations. I cannot afford to leave the country only to get there and be rejected or treated like a criminal,” he said.