Trump Administration Deports First Group of Nigerians Under New Immigration Crackdown

The first group of Nigerians deported under President Donald Trump’s renewed immigration policy has officially left the United States, with 14 West African nationals—including several Nigerians and one Gambian—arriving in Ghana earlier this week.

Ghana’s former President John Dramani Mahama disclosed the development during a press conference on Wednesday, confirming his country had played a key role in facilitating the transfers.

“A group of 14 deportees, including Nigerians and one Gambian, have already arrived in Ghana, and the government facilitated their return to their home countries,” Mahama said.

He added that the Nigerian deportees were transported by bus back to their home country, while Ghanaian authorities are assisting the Gambian national with arrangements to return home.

According to Mahama, the U.S. government approached Ghana to accept West African deportees under a third-party repatriation agreement. Ghana agreed, citing existing visa-free policies for fellow West African nationals.

“We agreed with the U.S. that West African nationals were acceptable,” Mahama noted. “All our fellow West African nationals don’t need visas to come to our country.”

Despite cooperation on deportations, Mahama described U.S.-Ghana relations as increasingly strained, referencing rising U.S. tariffs on Ghanaian exports and new visa restrictions for Ghanaian citizens.

Still, he emphasized that overall diplomatic relations remain positive.

The Trump administration has intensified efforts to repatriate undocumented migrants and third-country nationals from the U.S. to African nations—often through bilateral agreements with governments willing to receive deportees.

Human rights groups have criticized the practice, arguing that forced returns to third countries may violate international law, especially when deportees are not originally from the nations receiving them.

Nigeria has been a vocal critic of the U.S. strategy and previously stated it would not accept non-Nigerian deportees under pressure from Washington.

However, it has not objected to the return of its own citizens when due process is followed.

The latest deportations are part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration to deter irregular immigration through high-profile removals and bilateral enforcement agreements with African governments.