Fear grips Nigerians as Trump intensifies deportation exercise.
3 min read
A heavy cloud of fear has enveloped thousands of Nigerians living in the United States of America over the deportation exercise of the newly installed Trump’s administration. The new US President who announced the deportation order shortly after he was sworn in has vowed to continue the exercise until criminals and illegal immigrants who entered the United States through the back door are fished out and deported.
Back home in Nigeria, fear has totally gripped many families whose children and breadwinners live in the United States. According to one middle aged man who spoke with Umuaka Times reporters on the subject, the exercise will backfire. “When I say that the exercise will backfire, what I mean is that many Nigerian families who borrowed money and even sold some properties to send their children to US may have nothing to fall back on if Trump implements this agenda. My only source of livelihood lies in America because my younger brother who left for the US last year sends me money every month. What if they deport him?”
Back to the United States, it is generally believed that over 3000 Nigerians have been marked for deportation and most of them have gone into hiding. A Nigerian living in America told a popular Nigerian newspaper thus: “Ever since Trump came to power and acted on his threat of deportation, some of us have stopped going to work because ICE officers can raid workplaces to arrest illegal immigrants at any time. I don’t go to church anymore because it is possible to be arrested there. For now, the only safe place is your house—stay indoors.”
CBS News last week reported that Trump indeed wants to go extra miles in order to achieve this goal. “The Trump administration is preparing to revoke the legal status of many of the migrants who were allowed to come to the U.S. legally from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela under former President Joe Biden, according to internal government documents reviewed by CBS News.”
Many American have been speaking out their minds against the deportation policy of the current US government. A viral video which was suspected to have been made by an attorney, last week advised arrested immigrants to remain silent when arrested because the government needs evidence from the immigrant before he is deported.
Human rights activist, Rev. Al Sharpton last week voiced out his frustrations over the ongoing deportations across America. He called on the voters to ask their representatives to address the issue urgently.
Also words reached Umuaka Times last week that many Nigerians had stiff conditions trying to cross to Canada in order to avoid the deportation exercise of President Trump. A video Umuaka Times reporters watched last week showed several black persons, most of them suspected to be Nigerians trying to cross to Canada.
There is a good number of Nigerians even from Umuaka who live in America but are yet to get their documents; Umuaka Times correspondents in America gathered that this group of immigrants is also facing the trouble of deportations by President Trump.
Shortly before press time last week, Umuaka Times came across a man and his girlfriend who disclosed that their visiting American visas were ready but they may not travel again due to the Trump policy on immigration.
For now, the heat is on America and many countries across the world have shown their displeasures over the US policy. Many farm jobs have been lost and it is estimated that the US government will spend about 300 billion US dollars to achieve this goal.
Only time will tell for Trump and his deportation policy.
