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A growing number of Nigerians living in the United States are going into hiding, abandoning their jobs, or quietly returning home as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intensifies deportation operations under President Donald Trump’s renewed immigration crackdown.
Many Nigerians, they said, have stopped reporting to work and are limiting movement in public spaces as anxiety over arrests and deportations deepens.
The renewed crackdown follows President Trump’s January 2025 inauguration, after which he directed federal agencies to immediately arrest and remove undocumented immigrants. The policy shift has triggered widespread concern among immigrant groups, civil society organizations, and human rights advocates in the US and abroad.
Community sources say the impact is already reshaping daily life for Nigerian immigrants. Some families have reportedly left the country quietly, while others remain indoors, relying on informal work or community support networks to survive.
A Nigerian woman living in the US, who asked to be identified as Senior Immigrant, told Saturday PUNCH that many Nigerians now avoid public spaces and workplaces because of fear of ICE operations.
“People are staying indoors because of the fear of ICE,” she said. “Many have stopped working because they don’t have the criteria to work legally, and they’re afraid of being picked up.”
She described how her shop assistant stopped coming to work in mid-December after ICE agents carried out operations in the area.
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“She was scared for her life because ICE came to my area. Then they came to her area in New Jersey. Since then, she has had anxiety and fear,” she said.
According to her, some families have resorted to home-based businesses and online trading to survive, while community members have begun pooling resources to support those who can no longer work openly.
“A family that worked in a factory stopped going because of ICE. People contributed money for them, and they started selling things from home,” she added.
The fear has been intensified by reports of deaths linked to immigration enforcement. At least 32 people reportedly died in ICE custody in 2025, making it one of the deadliest years on record for immigration detention. Reports described the previous year as the deadliest in over two decades for deaths in ICE facilities.
According to The Guardian (UK), eight people died in 2026 alone during encounters involving ICE operations, heightening public concern over enforcement methods.
Read Also: 35 Nigerians Deported From Ireland Amidst Immigration Rules
Recent high-profile killings have further fueled anxiety. In January, 37-year-old Renée Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during an enforcement operation. Medical examiners ruled her death a homicide caused by multiple gunshot wounds.
Weeks later, Alex Pretti, also 37, was shot and killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026, during another enforcement action. Pretti was reportedly an intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center.
For many Nigerians in the US, the crackdown has created a climate of fear that extends beyond legal status. Community members say uncertainty, misinformation, and fear of random encounters with immigration agents have disrupted daily life, work, and family stability.
