Photo: Alamy
The first plane of illegal immigrants from Nigeria arrived on Monday, with 85 passengers arriving in Lagos.
U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria Richard Mills Jr. told reporters that those on board included convicted prisoners who were in U.S. prisons.
“They appealed but were denied yet they are still in the U.S. They have committed immigration crimes, people who have been ordered to leave,” Mills said.
Nigerian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu confirmed the report of the migrant criminals being returned to Nigeria.
“We requested that the forced removals of our citizens from US soil must be in compliance with internationally prescribed guidelines and established protocols in this regard and that a more humane process should be followed,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu posted to X.
Nearly 6,000 illegal immigrants were reportedly deported as of Feb. 3, according to Homeland Security. As of Jan. 27, border czar Tom Homan said deportation flights were departing daily.
President Donald Trump’s White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that deportation flights of illegal immigrants began on Jan. 24. The press secretary shared the news alongside images of immigrants walking onto military aircraft for departure.
“Deportation flights have begun,” Leavitt posted to X.
“President Trump is sending a strong and clear message to the entire world: if you illegally enter the United States of America, you will face severe consequences,” she added.
One of the photos was taken at Biggs Army Airfield at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Fox News confirmed. The plane reportedly holds 80 people and was scheduled for departure to Guatemala.
Several states have also begun to join Trump’s deportation efforts. As RSBN previously reported, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis called a special session of the state’s legislature earlier this month to prepare details to implement Trump’s deportation program.
DeSantis announced the session on Monday ahead of Trump’s inauguration next week, stating there is “no time to waste.”
“Today, I called for a special session of the Florida legislature the week of January 27 to prepare Florida to lead on the Trump Administration’s deportation program. We will allocate resources and ensure state and local officials in Florida are supporting these efforts,” he wrote. “We have no time to waste. Florida must lead.”
