Impacts of Increased Raids and Mass Deportation by the Trump Administration on Economic Vulnerability of Forcefully Removed Africans (2016-2025)

Abstract

The mass deportation regime under President Donald Trump’s administration 2017-2021 marked a significant shift in US immigration enforcement, characterized by increased workplace raids, expansion of ICE operations, and the termination of prosecutorial discretion. Africans, though a smaller share of the undocumented population, experienced a 43% increase in deportations during this period according to DHS data. This study examined the impacts of increased raids and mass deportation on the economic vulnerability of forcefully removed Africans. Anchored on Securitization and radicalized border theories, the study adopted a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design. Quantitative data were collected from 412 African deportees across Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Somalia using a structured questionnaire. Qualitative data were derived from 28 in-depth interviews and 4 focus group discussions. Data were analyzed using SPSS v28 for descriptive statistics, multiple regression and SEM, and NVivo 14 for thematic analysis. Findings revealed that: 1. Trump-era policies significantly increased the likelihood of deportation for Africans β=0.412, p<0.001. 2. Forceful removal led to severe economic vulnerability including loss of assets, unemployment, and dependence on remittances with 78.2% of deportees reporting income below pre-deportation levels. 3. Duration in the US, skills transferability, and post-deportation support significantly predicted reintegration outcomes R2=0.521. 4. Households in countries of origin experienced 34% average decline in remittance income. The study concludes that mass deportation under Trump created long-term economic precarity for African deportees and their families. It recommends bilateral deportation agreements, pre-departure economic counseling, and national reintegration funds in African states. This study contributes to migration literature by providing the first large empirical data on African US deportees and a Deportee Economic Vulnerability Framework.

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