Nigerians in America now hide and avoid quarrels over fear of deportation – US-based Professor

A Professor of Social Ethics at Boston University, Nimi Wariboko, has expressed concerns over the fear gripping Nigerians in the United States due to a sweeping crackdown on undocumented immigrants under the administration of President Donald Trump. Wariboko shared his thoughts during a virtual appearance on the Friday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme on Channels Television.

“Here, of course, there are a good number of Nigerians that don’t have papers. So, there are worrying,” Wariboko said, describing the anxious atmosphere within the Nigerian community in the U.S. barely three weeks after Trump resumed his second term on January 20, 2025.

“If you are a pastor, if you are a leader in those communities, you are worried for those people; you have concerns for them. Are they going to be deported? Some of them are hiding – there is that palpable fear that they could be raided. If you quarrel with your neighbours, they can call the immigration enforcement unit. There is that palpable fear. They are fearful, they are angry, they don’t know what is going to happen.”

Trump, who has vowed mass deportation of undocumented immigrants he describes as “criminal aliens,” has already overseen raids at homes, schools, workplaces, and shopping centres. Undocumented immigrants have been picked up and deported to countries like India and Guatemala, among others. While some have praised his actions, others have criticized the harsh policies.

Wariboko pointed out that many undocumented Nigerian immigrants are angry at their compatriots back home for a perceived lack of empathy. “They (undocumented Nigerian immigrants) are saying at the end of the day, if this great replacement holds, they are going to be sent back home. Do you have jobs to absorb them?” he asked.

He also warned that even Nigerians in the U.S. with legal residency or citizenship could face challenges with Trump’s proposed reversal of birthright citizenship laws. Wariboko argued that the Nigerian government should take a more proactive role in defending its citizens in the United States, as mass deportations could have significant economic repercussions for Nigeria.

“They are saying even if you don’t like us, people in the U.S. send billions of dollars home every year to sustain the Nigerian economy, to sustain their families. Even for the sake of economic interest, Nigeria should care about that because there is money that comes from here to sustain different families,” Wariboko said.

“For many families, if they didn’t have people abroad; in Europe, in Asia, in the United States or Canada, their economic well-being will be below what they have in the country. So, if people know that policies are about defending your economic interest, then they will be defending their fellow citizens because it is in the national interest of Nigeria.”

The professor cited the World Bank’s 2023 report, which revealed that remittances from Nigerians abroad totaled $20 billion, underscoring the critical role the diaspora plays in supporting Nigeria’s economy.

Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants is reminiscent of his first term in office. In 2020, Nigeria was added to a list of countries with restricted entry into the United States due to non-compliance with identity management and information-sharing criteria. Official sources estimate that approximately 376,000 Nigerian immigrants live in the U.S. as of 2015, making Nigeria the largest source of African immigration to the country.

The U.S. remains a top destination for Nigerian youths and the middle class seeking better opportunities, with the diaspora contributing significantly to Nigeria’s economy annually.

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