In the build-up to the last general election in the United States of America (U.S), Donald, a resident who interestingly shares first name with the American President, Donald Trump, was one of the millions of people who prayed fervently that his namesake would not return to The White House. As it turned out, however, his prayer was not answered.
The Nigerian immigrant is a regular church goer in Houston, Texas, who is yet to regularise his papers since he arrived the US about eight years ago. His prayer point was based on Trump’s open condemnation of immigrants and his threat to complete what he started in his first term by sending them back home on his second coming. “My only prayer point every time I went to church was for God to frustrate Trump’s agenda,” Donald said.
State of confusion and distraught
Since Trump was re-elected and sworn in on January 20, 2025, Donald (42) has not knownpeace. “I can’t go to work,’ complained the super store worker. “I’ve been at home and don’t put on my phone for fear that I would be contacted from work.
“The streets are littered with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents and Latinos (people of Latin American descents) and Africans are their targets. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Going to church is no longer an option for the father of two boys aged 5 and 2. “How do I go to church? What if they pick me up on the way there? He asked rhetorically.
Donald, who holes up at home 24/7, added: “Donald Trump is a curse to this country. I’m not happy that I bear the same name as him.”
Different strokes for different folks
Unlike Donald, Dele, another undocumented Nigerian immigrant who lives in Maryland, his latest settlement since he arrived in the US in 2019, does not have the luxury of a home to hide in. While Donald shackles up in the house, and avoids church, Dele has been taking refuge in a local church in Maryland. He had gone to the US to improve his lots and those of his family members in Nigeria.
The 40-year-old, who left a wife, daughter and aged parents in Nigeria, considers himself lucky that his immediate family is not with him in the US. He has stayed put in the church since news of the mass deportation broke.
“ICE has been picking up immigrants everywhere. I squat with some friends. They advise me not to come home for now because I might attract ICE agents to the house.
“I’m afraid to go home. I know my pastor will not give me up in the house of God, but I can’t say the same for my hosts. Squatters are being thrown out at the slightest of provocation,” he said.
The church has become the biblical refuge for Dele who simply told his Nigerian pastor that he has nowhere to go. Like Donald and Dele, scores of Nigerian immigrants and their African counterparts are confused and distraught.
Breaking family ties
Donald is battling with yet another confusion arising from one of the motley of Presidential Orders issued and signed by Trump on his first day in office: fear of being separated from his children.
“I have two children who were born in the US, making them automatic citizens. But my wife and I don’t have papers. I cannot risk losing my children. There is a possibility that if they profile my wife and I, we can be deported while our children will be sent to foster homes,” he said.
Donald’s children have stopped going to school. His wife, who works in a hospital, has not been to work since January 23. “I sneak out at night to buy groceries. Our money is running out because we are not earning. I pray that this whole mess blows away soonest,” he said.
Living in fear
Amid the anxiety and fear that loom around him like his shadow, Donald is confused, and angry. Nigeria’s former football international, Chief Paul Okoku, who has lived in the US since 1984, says undocumented immigrants live in fear and uncertainty.
Okoku said: “The impact of President Donald J. Trump’s immigration policies, initiated during his first term and resuming on a larger scale fresh into his current administration, has profoundly affected undocumented immigrants in the United States.
“Nigerian and other African migrants, in particular, face ongoing challenges stemming from stringent policies, mass deportations and restrictive visa regulations.
“Under President Trump’s directives, aggressive ICE operations and expanded detention centres have created an atmosphere of fear among undocumented communities.
“African immigrants, especially those from Nigeria, often lack extensive support networks, exacerbating their vulnerability.”
To buttress Okoku’s point, John, a Nigerian immigrant who overstayed his visa, shared his experience of survival under extreme fear of deportation.
He said: “I came here on an F1 visa to study engineering. After graduation, changes in H-1B visa policies during President Trump’s administration made it impossible for my employer to sponsor me.
“Now, I do under-the-table jobs to survive. Every siren I hear makes me fear its ICE coming for me.”
Mass raids and arrests
Since President Trump took office on January 20, there have been raids in cities like Chicago, New York, Denver and Los Angeles.
More than 3,500 undocumented migrants have been arrested. The first few days were devastating for immigrants who did not take the threat seriously.
According to daily statistics published by ICE, 1,000 immigrants were arrested on the first day of operation while 969 were picked up on another day. The highest number of arrests of 1,179 so far was made on the Sunday of the first week.
Immigration officials have described these raids as “targeted enforcement operations” which have resulted in the arrest of violent gang members and dangerous suspects, and have agents from other federal law enforcement agencies drafted to help step up arrests.
The White House and ICE have publicised some of these arrests, showing pictures of the suspects and providing details of their countries of origin and crimes, including sexual assaults and drug-trafficking offences.
But the White House has made it clear that any undocumented migrant caught up in these raids – whether criminals or not – will be subjected to arrest and deportation, even though simply being in the US illegally is a civil matter.
The arrests have already had a chilling effect on many immigrant communities across the US. “We’re hearing that people are terrified, and we are getting calls left and right,” said Michael Lukens, the executive director of the Amica Centre for Immigrant Rights, an organisation which provides free legal representation to undocumented migrants detained by authorities.
“People are scared to go to work, or to send their kids to school,” he said, adding that the Trump administration has blocked his organisation’s efforts to enter detention facilities to meet with detainees.
“That’s exactly what the White House wants – to instill fear in people and make them leave. That’s not something we had never seen,” he said.
Laken Riley act
Trump has also signed the Laken Riley Act into law, requiring undocumented immigrants who are arrested for theft or violent crimes to be held in jail pending trial. The bill, named after Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student murdered last year by a Venezuelan man, according to Trump, made the government set up a 30,000-person facility for undocumented detainees, doubling the government’s holding capacity and taking the US “one step further to eliminating the scourge of migrant crime.”
Data from the Migration Policy Institute indicated that African immigrants, though fewer in number in comparison to South and Central Americans and other nationals or groups, face higher rates of deportation once detained.
Fox reported that Department of Homeland Security data showed 11,791 interior ICE arrests from January 20 to February 8, compared to 4,969 during the same period in 2024; a 137% increase.
Arrest of immigrants has soared by nearly 100% from 4,526 in the same period in 2024 to 8,993 under Trump this year.
Notwithstanding, Trump thought the pace of arrests and deportations is too slow. He had recently removed ICE Director Caleb Vitello in a bid to step up the process.
OVER 3,000 NIGERIANS FACE DEPORTATION
In Nigeria, the Federal Government (FG) further confirmed that about 3,690 of its citizens in the US are facing deportation.
It clarified that as of November 24, 2024, there were 1,445,549 non-citizens on ICE’s non-detained docket with final removal orders.
While Mexico and El Salvador top the list of nations facing the most deportation, with 252,044 and 203,822 respectively, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, revealed that 201 Nigerian nationals are currently held in US immigration camps, with 85 already cleared for deportation.
Grim reports from Atlanta to Indiana
Ayodele Makanju, a Nigerian pastor and social commentator based in Atlanta Georgia, said US communities are wearing dry looks on account of the immigration crisis.
Makanju said: “The socio-cultural effect is high. Because some people don’t go out due to the fear of being picked up, they can no longer go to social gatherings where they go to cool off after working hard.
“The first two weeks were really tough for undocumented people, but it is easing up a little now. However, a lot of people are still cautious and prefer to stay home. Churches and religious homes are no go areas.
“The streets are deserted. The kind of numbers you see at the malls and big stores are no longer there. A lot has changed since the drama began.
“There is nothing like small and large gatherings again. People nearly stopped going out. Few come to church, unlike what we used to have, even on Sundays.
“Partying has become a taboo here. Trump has dealt a great blow on the American bouncy communities.
“Even people who have green cards are going out with apprehension. They go out with their documents on them to save themselves from harassment and detainment.”
Demola Korede, another Nigerian legally living in Indiana, says departmental stores have lost their allure due to the palpable fear in the air. Supermarkets and African markets before now used to be filled with lots of activities. But right now, they are all deserted.
In fact, the roads are empty. Everyone is indoors. If you go to the stores now, prices of goods have gone up. People who work in the morning are no longer going; it is only people going to night work that venture to go.
“In a store where I buy groceries, they used to have about 15 cashiers; they only have three cashiers now. Some people stocked their homes with food as soon as Trump was elected, but that food will finish someday.
“People have stopped going to parties or other gatherings for fear of being picked up. It is not a laughing matter. Trump has destroyed the fabric of American robust society.”
He however added that immigrants from Mexico and Guatemala are the main targets of the administration.
IK (not real name), a Nigerian who has been in the US since 2006, says Nigerians who rooted for Trump before the election are regretting their action.
“Not a few Nigerians, especially those who voted Republican and see the business guru as messianic agent out to stamp out cultural and social deviance, are clearly part and parcel of the pains and anguish of their less unfortunate ones.
“Of course, there’s fear for those without papers. Losing jobs, security concerns and family separations and returning to uncertainty are unnerving.”
Mental health and well-being
Beyond economic and legal challenges, the psychological impact on undocumented immigrants is profound. Many experience depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress due to the constant threat of deportation. Cultural stigmas surrounding mental health in African communities often prevent individuals from seeking help.
A community leader in Texas, who runs an African immigrant support group, noted: “Our community members are traumatised. They avoid hospitals for fear of being asked about their status and can’t call the police when in danger. The isolation is overwhelming.”
Makanju said a person who loses income can become psychologically distressed in a short while.
“For someone here who has been going to work and picking his bills but cannot do so again, it will bring psychological issues, especially if you have grown-ups or children who rely on you.
“Even people who have their documents are careful. For instance, it is advised that you should have a copy of your document on you whenever you go out, so that if you are picked up from a crowd, you can show your card and be verified immediately.”
Fallacies of mass deportation rhetoric
IK said the reasons given by Trump for mass deportation are fallacies. “Immigrants don’t commit more crime than citizens. Immigrants don’t take jobs from citizens as there are too many jobs for which businesses are looking for workers.”
Korede, who dumped a bank job in Nigeria for ‘greener pasture’ in 2017, said the U.S will be the loser in the long run.
“If you go to super stores now, you won’t see anybody. There is no patronage anymore because immigrants are the pillars of these businesses. They are the workers and they are the buyers.
“There are many jobs that locals won’t touch but foreigners will willingly do.”
Buttressing Chief Okoku, a financial analyst said mass deportation will have great impact on the US economy.
“Contrary to the belief that undocumented immigrants take jobs from US citizens, many fill essential roles in industries like agriculture, construction, healthcare and domestic work. President Trump’s policies have led to increased workplace raids, pushing undocumented workers further into the shadows and causing labour shortages.
“The National Bureau of Economic Research found that states with stricter immigration policies experienced economic downturns due to these labour gaps.”
Korede added that Mexicans and Africans are the ones doing the dirty work. “The state of Indiana is well known for its agrarian nature. Agriculture is big here and it is the Mexicans, Haitians, and Africans doing the dirty work. They are always available for dirty jobs.
“They no longer go out now. For them to go to any work, they now demand three times what was paid before.
“Mexicans are the ones doing farm work. It will affect them seriously because they cannot do all the work. Prices are going up.
“Even where I work, we are the ones doing the work. The locals don’t do overtime. It is even a problem keeping them at work. We are the ones doing overtime. US economy will suffer.”
Economic hardship
Makanju also warns of brutal consequences for the Nigerian economy.
He said: “One of the sources of income in Nigeria is the remittances from the Diaspora, especially from Nigerians in the US.
“Because these remittances are huge and they are used to support their people at home; family members, friends and loved ones will be affected.
“If their benefactors cannot work, they cannot send money to assist family and friends. So, on both sides, there will be losses.”
Nigerians can end up in panama
A little-known aspect of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement strategy involves deportation agreements with third-party countries. Because of a lack of cooperation from several African and Asian nations—who often refuse to accept deported illegal immigrants—the United States have reached an agreement with third-party countries to house deportees.
Panama has readily accepted this role, and deported immigrants from Africa, Asia and other regions are now being sent to Panama rather than their home countries. Once there, they are housed in hotels while awaiting the next steps from US immigration authorities.
This arrangement allows the US government to bypass diplomatic standoffs with countries that refuse to accept their own nationals. However, it has also raised concerns about human rights violations and the long-term implications of keeping migrants in limbo in a foreign country.
Describing his ordeal, a Nigerian deportee who was sent to Panama after being detained by ICE, said: “I was arrested in Texas and expected to be sent back to Nigeria, but instead, they told me I was being taken to Panama.
“I was placed in a hotel with other deportees from different parts of the world. We have no idea what is in stock for us.”
Immigration advocacy groups have criticised the lack of transparency in this process, arguing that migrants are being placed in indefinite detention without clear pathways for appeal or legal recourse.
Chief Okoku said the US immigration policies will continue to provide a challenging landscape for African immigrants unless it passes through comprehensive and humane reforms.
“For African immigrants, navigating the US immigration system remains arduous. Without comprehensive immigration reform, many will continue to live in the shadows, striving to build a future amid systemic obstacles.
“The growing use of third-party countries as holding grounds for deportees further complicates the situation.
“As the US strengthens its deportation efforts, the fate of thousands of immigrants remains uncertain, caught between international politics and personal survival.”
IK is of the opinion that African leaders need to live up to global challenges. “In the 1960s and 70s, the UK looked up to Nigeria for solutions to some of its problems. No Nigerian would go to London and live there because living in Nigeria made more sense. How did we get here?”
He said it is a wake-up call for the Nigerian government to rise up to their responsibilities, chief among them, making the country truly a home to stay for its citizens.
(The Nation)
