The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has confirmed that at least 110 Nigerians are among 355 West African nationals slated for deportation in a renewed immigration enforcement operation targeting visa violations and unlawful residency cases across multiple states.
According to DHS, the exercise forms part of a broader crackdown on immigration breaches, with affected individuals already identified for removal and grouped under a coordinated initiative tagged the West Africa Operations Watch.
The department said it has published the names and photographs of all 355 individuals marked for deportation, describing the exercise as part of ongoing efforts to tighten enforcement of immigration laws and ensure compliance with residency requirements.
Nigeria recorded the second-highest number of affected nationals on the list with 110 individuals, trailing only Liberia, which accounts for 94 persons. Other countries included Ghana with 30, Senegal with 19, Cameroon with 15, and The Gambia alongside Côte d’Ivoire with 14 each.
The list further includes 12 nationals from Mauritania, 11 from Cape Verde, nine from Burkina Faso, eight from Niger, six each from Guinea and Togo, five from Mali, and one each from Benin and Guinea-Bissau.
DHS said those listed were identified following investigations into immigration violations such as visa overstays, illegal entry into the United States, and failure to comply with residency conditions.
Officials described the operation as a coordinated multi-state enforcement exercise, reflecting intensified scrutiny of immigration status compliance under current federal policy.
The latest move comes amid broader efforts by US immigration authorities to strengthen border control mechanisms and address growing concerns over undocumented residency and overstays, particularly involving nationals from West African countries.
Authorities added that deportation processes will be carried out in phases, in collaboration with relevant diplomatic missions of the affected countries.
