The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has expanded its ongoing deportation exercise by adding 18 more Nigerians to its list of criminal offenders scheduled for removal, bringing the total number affected to 97.
The latest update follows an earlier disclosure that dozens of Nigerians convicted of various crimes had been marked for deportation. A recent review of the DHS website shows that the enforcement action has widened, with additional individuals now included under what authorities describe as a nationwide crackdown on criminal immigrants.
According to DHS records, many of the newly added individuals were convicted of offences such as wire fraud, mail fraud, and identity theft. U.S. officials say the arrests and removals are part of a broader strategy to prioritise the deportation of non-citizens with serious criminal records.
In a statement published on the DHS website, the agency said it is focusing on what it termed the “worst of the worst” criminal immigrants. The statement noted that the department, alongside Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is implementing the current administration’s policy of mass deportations, beginning with individuals involved in serious criminal activity.
The expanded list highlights the administration’s continued hardline stance on illegal immigration and crime, with foreign nationals from several countries affected, including Nigeria. The move underscores ongoing efforts by U.S. authorities to tighten immigration enforcement and remove non-citizens convicted of major offences.
