Nigerians have emerged as the highest-ranked African nationals on the United States’ list of convicted foreign offenders awaiting deportation, according to updated figures from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Checks on the DHS website on Wednesday indicated that 125 Nigerians are currently listed among what U.S. authorities describe as “the worst of the worst” criminal non-citizens arrested and targeted for deportation after serving their sentences.
Somalia follows with 95 nationals on the same list, while Ghana ranks third with 32 individuals slated for removal from the United States upon completion of their prison terms.
The DHS, through the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said it is publicly highlighting the individuals as part of its ongoing enforcement drive, noting that it is prioritising “the worst of the worst criminal aliens arrested by ICE.”
It added that under its current leadership, immigration authorities were “carrying out mass deportations” in line with policy directives aimed at removing foreign nationals convicted of serious offences.
Earlier in February, official figures showed that 97 Nigerians were already on the deportation list, indicating a steady rise in the number of affected nationals over recent months.
The latest update reflects an increase to 125 Nigerians, with offences ranging from sexual crimes and fraud-related cases to romance scams and wire fraud, according to U.S. records.
In a related dataset from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons, 287 Nigerians were said to be serving various prison terms as of May 9, with offences including burglary and larceny, drug-related crimes, illegal possession of weapons and explosives, and sexual offences.
U.S. authorities have continued to maintain that the publication of names and offences is part of efforts to promote transparency in immigration enforcement and strengthen deportation procedures for convicted foreign nationals.
