President Donald Trump's return to power has reignited fears of mass deportations among immigrant communities in the United States. During his campaign, Trump promised to "carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history" if he regains office, intensifying concerns within immigrant communities. According to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Annual Report 2024, African countries topped the list for the highest number of individuals deported from the US in FY 2024.

Senegal, Mauritania, and Nigeria were among the top 10 African countries with the highest number of deportations, with Senegal topping the list with 410 removals, followed by Mauritania with 353. Nigeria, a notable country of origin for many immigrants, ranked third with 138 removals. Other countries in the top ten included Angola, DR Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Somalia, Morocco, and Kenya.

Trump's pledge to deport "millions and millions" of immigrants will further strain government finances. ICE is already facing a $230 million budget shortfall, even before accounting for the costs of mass deportations. According to two officials, the shortfall is attributed to historic underfunding and a rise in migrants deemed ineligible for asylum, a trend that has increased since the Biden administration's June changes to asylum policy.

Since Trump's return to power, ICE has made significant efforts to detain and deport immigrants accused of overstaying their visas or involved in different crimes. In his first week back in office, President Donald Trump's administration conducted nationwide ICE raids, resulting in 956 arrests. A few days later, 1,300 arrests had been made, according to "border czar" Tom Homan. These arrests accounted for about 1.1% of ICE's total in FY 2024, when daily arrests averaged 310. Under Trump, this average has risen to 433 per day and is expected to grow further.

NBC News reports that if Trump's proposed mass deportation plans are enacted, over 4 million families in the USA may be separated from their primary members. ICE removals in 2024 focused on national security and public safety through criminal investigations and immigration enforcement. ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) made 113,431 administrative arrests, including 33,243 at-large arrests during the same period.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted 32,608 criminal arrests, seized over 1.6 million pounds of narcotics, $886 million in criminal assets, and $192 million in virtual currency while identifying 1,783 child victims of exploitation. ERO removed 271,484 noncitizens with final orders of removal, including 88,763 with criminal convictions, 3,706 gang members, 237 suspected terrorists, and eight human rights violators.

These defaulters were drawn from different world regions, including some from Africa, and over 30% of those removed had criminal histories, averaging 5.63 charges each. ERO also arrested individuals wanted for crimes like terrorism and torture in their home countries. However, with escalating threats, the data for 2025 is expected to surpass that of previous years.

The ICE removal data for FY 2024 highlights the African countries with the highest number of individuals deported from the United States. The data raises concerns about the impact of Trump's deportation policies on immigrant communities and the potential for family separations. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how Trump's administration will implement its deportation plans and the consequences for immigrant communities in the US.