At least, over 3,000 Nigerians who do not have legal documents to stay in America are facing the risk of deportation.
This is according to local media reports that quote a document obtained by Fox News from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE).
Fox News reported that the Nigerian immigrants have been in the ICE non-detained docket with final orders of removal since November 2024.
The report adds that Nigeria has the second-highest number of citizens scheduled for deportation in Africa, followed by Somalia, Ghana, and Senegal, among others.
Since President Donald Trump took over office on January 20, immigration enforcement operations have started across major US cities.
One nationwide immigration crackdown on Sunday, January 27, led to the arrest of 956 people. It followed the 286 arrests on Saturday, 593 arrests on Friday, and 538 arrests on Thursday.
As of November 2024, over one million non-US citizens were on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement non-detainee register and subject to a final order of removal.
The website states that between 2023 and 2024, thousands of African nationals entered the United States illegally through Nicaragua.
The first deportation flights carrying hundreds of undocumented migrants deported from the US have landed in Guatemala and Mexico.
One cornerstone of Trump’s immigration policy is to remove unlawful migrants from the US and the promise of “mass deportations.”
To stay legally in the US as a migrant, you need the following documents: valid passport, relevant visa depending on your reason for staying (work, family, asylum), proof of your relationship to a US citizen or sponsor (if applicable), and depending on the visa type.
Additional documents like employment offers, birth certificate, marriage certificates, medical records, and financial statements to demonstrate your ability to support yourself in the US are necessary.
Key documents for different immigration pathways as listed by BBC:-
For Permanent Residency (Green Card):
The US gives permanent residents valid Permanent Resident Cards as proof of legal status. Some people call it the Green Card.
To get the Green Card you need the following:
1. Valid passport
2. Immigration visa
3. Form 1-551 (Green card)
4. Proof of relationship to a US citizen or lawful permanent resident (if applicable).
For Employment based-immigration:
1. Form I-766, Employment 2.Authorization Document Card
3. Job offer letter from a US employer
4. Form I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker) 5. Labour Certification (if required)
For Family-based immigration:
1. Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative)
2. Birth certificates of family members
3. Marriage certificate (if applicable)
For Non-immigrant Visas (temporary stay):
1. Valid passport
2. Relevant non-immigrant visa (e.g., tourist, business, student, work)
3. Supporting documents for the purpose of your stay (e.g., acceptance letter from a US school for student visa).