Nigerians in America count on Congress to save them from Trump

Ahead of a Donald Trump presidency in the United States in January 2017, Nigerians living in America have vowed to stay, saying they are not afraid of the deportation threats made by the president-elect during his campaigns.

Their faith is built on the fact that the immigration policy of the US cannot be changed without the approval of the Congress.
Trump had repeatedly pledged to rid the country of all 11 million unauthorised undocumented migrants living within its borders, the bulk of whom arrived before 2004. Consequently, he has picked the Senate’s most enthusiastic anti-immigration supporter, Jeff Sessions, as his attorney general.

Trump is targeting immigrants with criminal records, which he estimates to be between 2 million and 3 million. But the Migration Policy Institute, a think-tank, says it is closer to 820,000, according to The Economist.

“In my valid opinion as an intellectual and political commentator on current events, I can say nothing extraordinary will happen to immigrants in general including Nigerian immigrants who are here legitimately and legally,” Tom Okure, CEO, Inter-Continental Management Systems, Inc., who has lived in the US for over 44 years told BusinessDay in Albany, New York.

Speaking further, he said: “There are millions of illegal immigrants in the United States from all parts of the world, some of which are Nigerians. Many of these illegal immigrants have been living and working for decades without detection of the immigration authorities and I do not anticipate any change in their circumstances unless they run into entanglements with the law which can unfortunately happen in some circumstances.

“One can anticipate that the incoming administration of Donald Trump will more vigorously to enforce existing immigration laws, which may expose illegal Nigerian immigrants to the wrath of the law. Such intensified enforcement of the immigration laws will adversely affect all immigrant groups and it is likely that we will witness a higher percentage of deportation of illegal immigrants including more Nigerians than is currently the case.”

Bassey Essien, president, Association of Nigerians in the Capital District (ANCD), New York, said, “Nigerians are not planning to go back but they are scared of what Trump might do. Those who do not have permanent residence and do not have prospect for getting it are very worried about what might happen.”

Speaking further, he said, “I do not think Trump will be able to depot anybody because there are steps government has to take before deporting people.

On his part, Edwin Kaliku, Ebge of Agbor Kingdom and Onu-ika representative in the US and Canada, said 90 percent of Nigerians in US were determined to remain in the country.

“In Albany, nobody is going home. I do not think what Trump is saying is going to materialise within a year or two because congress has to change the law and it takes some time for congress to change that law. Nigerians know how to equip themselves when the law changes,” he said.

Samuel Iroegbu, attorney and counsellor at law, Albany, New York, also said in an interview that “Before Trump takes any action, he has to go to the Congress first. Whatever has to do with immigration, the Congress has to approve it. He cannot depot anyone, and cannot change the immigration policy until both the houses of Senate and Representative pass it into law.”