The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has identified approximately 1.5 million “illegal immigrants” for deportation.
The deportations come as President Donald Trump enforces his crackdown on illegal immigration.
A document obtained by Fox News from ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) states that, as of 24 November 2024, 1,445,549 non-citizens were on ICE’s non-detained docket with final removal orders.
Nigeria ranked second in Africa with 3,690 individuals on the list, following Somalia with 4,090. Ghana was third with 3,228.
Mexico had the highest number of deportees, with 252,044 individuals identified for removal.
The US government urged countries to accept the return of their nationals, warning that a lack of cooperation could hinder deportations.
“The U.S. Government requests foreign governments to verify citizenship, issue travel documents promptly, and accept the return of their nationals,” the document states.
It further warns that failure to comply may result in countries being designated as uncooperative.
Before his re-election in November, Trump had pledged to prioritise stricter immigration policies.
The US president has repeatedly referred to illegal immigrants as a cause of rising crime rates.
On his first day back in office, Trump signed multiple executive orders, including declaring a national emergency at the US-Mexico border and deploying troops to bolster security.
