President Donald Trump’s return to the political stage has reignited fears of mass deportations among immigrants in the United States.
- Business Insider Africa presents African countries that topped US immigration deportation list in 2024
- The list is courtesy of The US ICE Annual Report 2024
- African countries like Senegal, Mauritania, and Nigeria topped the list for highest number of individuals deported from the US in FY 2024
During his campaign, one of Trump’s central promise was to “carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history” if he regains office, intensifying concerns within immigrant communities.
“They’re poisoning the blood of our country. That’s what they’ve done. They poison — mental institutions and prisons all over the world. Not just in South America.
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“Not just the three or four countries that we think about. But all over the world they’re coming into our country — from Africa, from Asia, all over the world. They’re pouring into our country.” Trump spoke during his December 16, 2023 rally in New Hampshire.
However, Trump’s pledge to deport “millions and millions” of immigrants will further strain government finances.
NBC News reports that 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.
ICE begins massive arrests
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 removal in 2024
An ICE removal is defined as the compulsory and confirmed movement of an inadmissible or deportable noncitizen out of the United States.
In FY 2024, ICE 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.
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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.
According to the ICE Annual Report for 2024, the African countries with the highest deported population from the United States include:
| Rank | Country | ICE Removals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Senegal | 410 |
| 2 | Mauritania | 353 |
| 3 | Nigeria | 138 |
| 4 | Angola | 119 |
| 5 | DR Congo | 96 |
| 6 | Ghana | 94 |
| 7 | Guinea | 85 |
| 8 | Somalia | 64 |
| 9 | Morocco | 49 |
| 10 | Kenya | 48 |
The ICE removal data for FY 2024 highlights the African countries with the highest number of individuals deported from the United States.
Senegal topped 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 (119), DR Congo (96), and Ghana (94), showing a significant presence of deported individuals from these regions.
Guinea, Somalia, Morocco, and Kenya rounded out the top ten, with 85, 64, 49, and 48 removals, respectively.
