The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deported at least 2,310 Nigerians between 2014 and 2024, according to a review of the agency’s annual reports.
The figure rose to 2,330 with an additional 20 deportations recorded in early 2025.
The figures place Nigeria ahead of other African countries in U.S. removals, surpassing Somalia with 1,539 deportations, Ghana with 1,380, and Senegal with 1,122.
Data showed that deportations fell by 47.1 per cent from 261 in 2014 to 138 in 2024.
However, the numbers spiked during the first Donald Trump presidency, peaking at 369 in 2018, before dropping sharply under President Joe Biden to 49 in 2022, largely due to pandemic restrictions.
Annual breakdowns indicate 261 deportations in 2014, 224 in 2015, 242 in 2016, 312 in 2017, 369 in 2018, 286 in 2019, 199 in 2020, 78 in 2021, 49 in 2022, 152 in 2023, and 138 in 2024.
The resurgence in 2023 and 2024 coincided with a Supreme Court ruling in July 2024 which reinstated stricter enforcement guidelines prioritising public safety and national security cases.
ICE defined “removal” as the compulsory departure of non-citizens following a final order, often linked to unlawful entry, visa overstays, fraud, criminal convictions, or security concerns under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
As of late 2024, 3,690 Nigerians remain on ICE’s non-detained docket with final removal orders.
They form part of a broader 1.4 million non-citizens nationwide facing deportation.
Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) spokesperson Abdur-Rahman Balogun said the Federal Government was prepared to reintegrate returnees.
“We insist on dignified returns and support for deportees to rebuild their lives,” Balogun said.
Immigration advocates have criticised the deportations, warning that they worsen family separations and economic strain on Nigeria, where remittances from the U.S. diaspora exceed $20 billion annually.
