The Trump administration's directive to deport millions of illegal immigrants, including those with removal orders, is expected to disproportionately affect many African immigrants without legal status. According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), over 41,000 African citizens have been placed on the agency's final orders of removal list, with Somalia, Mauritania, and Nigeria topping the list.

In his 2024 campaign, President Trump pledged to carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in U.S. history, focusing on securing the border, halting the influx of illegal immigrants, and enforcing removal orders. His administration has made immigration enforcement a top priority, focusing on removing individuals who were residing in the country without legal authorization.

This policy has raised concerns within immigrant communities, particularly following the mass deportations, which many argue disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including families, asylum seekers, and long-time residents with deep ties to their communities. Consequently, many African immigrants from countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Somalia, and Senegal have faced increased deportation risks.

The presence of African migrants in the United States has been steadily increasing. Since 1980, the number of sub-Saharan African immigrants in the U.S. has grown 16-fold. According to the Migration Policy Institute, approximately 2.1 million sub-Saharan African immigrants lived in the U.S. in 2019, making up 5% of the total foreign-born population of 44.9 million.

This diverse group hails from different countries, encompassing a wide range of ethnicities, languages, and educational backgrounds. While the majority of the 4.6 million Black immigrants in the country come from the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africans represent a growing segment. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the overall foreign-born Black population will more than double by 2060, reaching 9.5 million.

In his first week back in office, President Trump's administration conducted widespread ICE raids, resulting in 956 arrests. A few days later, the number reached 1,300, according to "border czar" Tom Homan. These arrests accounted for about 1.1% of ICE's total for FY 2024, with a daily average of 310. Under Trump's leadership, that number has increased to 433 per day, with expectations of further rises.

In 2024, African nationals accounted for a significant portion of deportations, raising concerns about family separations and instability within African communities in the U.S. According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Annual Report for 2024, around 1,818 African individuals were deported from the country, with Senegal, Mauritania, and Nigeria topping the list.

Additionally, a separate ICE publication highlighted that many more Africans are currently under Final Orders of Removal. In addition to African countries, ICE focused its removals on nations with high volumes of unauthorized immigration and criminal activity. While these individuals have not yet been arrested or detained, they are scheduled for future deportation, adding to the uncertainty and anxiety within these communities.

As of November 2024, ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) reported 1,445,549 noncitizens on the final orders of removal list. African countries made up 2.86% of this total, with 41,323 individuals. Mexico topped the global list with 252,044 defaulters, followed by Guatemala (253,413) and Honduras (261,651), where many individuals entered unlawfully or overstayed visas.

The following African countries had the highest number of individuals listed for removal, as shown in the table: Somalia (4,090), Mauritania (3,822), Nigeria (3,690), Ghana (3,228), Guinea (1,897), Cameroon (1,736), Ethiopia (1,713), Senegal (1,689), Liberia (1,563), and Sierra Leone (1,563). These figures represent individuals with final orders of removal, though not all have been detained or deported.

It is crucial to understand that being placed on the ICE removal list does not guarantee automatic deportation. Several factors can prevent ICE from carrying out the removal of a noncitizen with a final order of removal. Noncitizens may apply for relief or protection from deportation, such as asylum, withholding of removal, or protection under the Convention Against Torture. If such relief is granted, ICE is legally unable to proceed with the removal.

Therefore, the removal list reflects those individuals who are subject to deportation, but it does not necessarily indicate immediate action. The Trump administration's deportation policy has sparked concerns about the impact on African immigrant communities, and the future of immigration enforcement in the United States remains uncertain.