U.S. Deportation Crackdown: First Batch of Nigerians Sent Home via Ghana Amid Trump’s Hardline Immigration Policy

In a dramatic turn of events, the first batch of Nigerians marked for deportation under President Donald Trump’s tough immigration clampdown has been expelled from the United States, sparking regional concerns and human rights outcry.

Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, confirmed the development late Wednesday in Accra, disclosing that 14 deportees — comprising several Nigerians and one Gambian — had landed in Ghana before being processed and sent to their respective home countries.

According to Mahama, Ghana facilitated the onward transfer of the Nigerians by bus across the border, while arrangements were underway to assist the Gambian national in returning home. He noted that Accra had reached an understanding with Washington to accept West African deportees as part of a controversial regional arrangement.

> “We were approached by the U.S. to accept third-party nationals being removed. We agreed because all West African nationals are welcome here without visas. This made the process smoother,” Mahama explained.

Despite the cooperation, Mahama admitted that U.S.-Ghana relations have recently come under strain, citing rising tariffs on Ghanaian exports and fresh visa restrictions slapped on its citizens. He described the situation as a “tightening” in bilateral ties, even as he insisted that overall relations with Washington “remained positive.”

Meanwhile, human rights organizations have strongly condemned the deportation strategy, accusing Washington of disregarding fundamental rights by expelling migrants to “third countries” where many had never lived.

Trump’s administration has in recent months intensified deportation efforts across Africa and Asia, sending five deportees to Eswatini, eight to South Sudan, and seven to Rwanda after Kigali controversially agreed to host up to 250 migrants.

The latest deportations signal a new phase in the White House’s sweeping immigration crackdown, with Nigeria and other African nations bracing for further forced returns.