The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has arrested 79 Nigerians described as among the “worst of the worst” criminal offenders.
The suspects face allegations ranging from sexual assault, fraud, manslaughter, cocaine smuggling, kidnapping and robbery, an online publication indicated.
Of the 79 arrested, six are women.
The DHS said it would fulfill President Donald Trump’s promise and carry out mass deportations “starting with the worst of the worst – including the illegal aliens you see here.”
The list referenced includes over 1,000 convicted individuals from different countries, including 53 Liberians, 28 Kenyans, 18 Ghanaians, six South Africans, and five Burkinabes.
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The arrests follow an intensified crackdown by officials of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who, in many cases, enforced door-to-door operations.
Last week, there were reports that the heightened raids forced Nigerian immigrants off U.S. streets into hiding for fear of arrests.
Some immigrants were said to have skipped work, while others reportedly began arrangements for quiet, self-arranged departures from the country.
In May 2025, Richard Mills, former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, told Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, minister of state for foreign affairs, that the country pencilled 201 Nigerians for deportation.