Not less than 3,690 Nigerians in the United States are faced with deportation by the American government. 

Following President Donald Trump’s declaration of war against illegal immigration, the fear of deportation has gripped many Nigerians who are illegally staying in the US.

On his inauguration day as the 47th President of the US, Trump signed a series of executive orders aimed at hardening immigration policies, including the stoppage of citizenship by birth for children of illegal immigrants.

According to a document compiled by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, the agency revealed the data is broken down by nationality and number of people faced with deportation.

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The document titled “Noncitizens on the ICE Non-Detained Docket with Final Orders of Removal by Country of Citizenship”, revealed that Mexico and El Salvador top the list of nations facing the most deportation, with 252,044 and 203,822, respectively.

There are 1,445,549 non-citizens on ICE’s non-detained docket with final removal order, it said.

The ICE is empowered to quickly deport undocumented individuals who cannot prove they have resided in the United States continuously for more than two years.

Hundreds of migrants have been arrested and flown out of the country on military aircraft.

Advocacy groups have voiced strong opposition to the new policies. The Center for Law and Social Policy warned of severe repercussions for immigrant families, particularly those with US-citizen children.

The organisation expressed concern that the changes could deter families from seeking medical care, disaster relief, and education and may increase the likelihood of children witnessing traumatic encounters with immigration officials.

Religious leaders have also spoken out against the policy.

During a sermon at an inaugural prayer service, the Episcopal bishop of Washington urged the administration to show compassion toward immigrants and vulnerable populations.