Over 30,000 Undocumented Kenyans Face Deportation Threat Under Trump's Immigration Crackdown

Mark Wachiya, a young Kenyan man residing in Nairobi's Bahati estate, found himself undocumented in the United States after attending a conference in late 2021.

Although he holds a university degree, Wachiya faced barriers in securing meaningful employment in Kenya, prompting his decision to seek opportunities abroad. Following the conference, he chose to remain in Atlanta, where he lives with a friend and works in low-wage jobs, a situation exacerbated by his undocumented status. Wachiya’s hopes for regularizing his immigration status diminished sharply with the election of President Donald Trump, who initiated stringent immigration policies that included plans for mass deportations.

Trump's administration has been characterized by its firm stance on immigration and pledges of utilizing military resources for deportation efforts and appointing figures like Stephen Miller and Tom Homan to spearhead these measures. These developments have instilled fear among many undocumented immigrants, including individuals within the Kenyan community in the US. Concerns regarding these policies resonate with Angela Kariuki, another undocumented Kenyan residing in the US. Kariuki, who arrived during the Biden administration, echoes Wachiya's sentiments.

Having relocated to the US to escape poverty, she remains hopeful for a better future for her child, despite facing numerous challenges as an undocumented immigrant. The Trump administration's immigration policies have stoked a contentious national debate. Proponents argue that strict enforcement is essential for protecting American jobs and enhancing national security, while opponents caution that widespread deportations could jeopardize diplomatic relations with nations like Kenya, which has established robust ties with the US in trade, security, and development arenas.

Prof. Macharia Munene, an international relations expert, raises concerns about the potential socio-economic ramifications of mass deportations in African countries. He emphasizes that many affected individuals are low-income earners, whose return could prolong the economic struggles of countries like Kenya, particularly in terms of unemployment. By 2020, the US Census Bureau reported that approximately 30,000 Kenyans lived in the US without proper documentation, a number likely increased under President Biden's more lenient immigration policies.

This demographic has made significant contributions across various sectors in the US including health, education, and technology. Data from the Migration Policy Institute indicates that in 2019, around 2.1 million sub-Saharan African immigrants lived in the US accounting for 5% of the foreign-born population. Amid anxieties regarding Trump’s immigration agenda, many immigrants are actively seeking legal counsel and investigating potential pathways to citizenship or permanent residency.

The possibility of mass deportations looms large, threatening to alter the futures of countless individuals and reshape the immigrant landscape in America. This immigration discourse emerges concurrently with economic challenges back home in Kenya. In a State of the Nation address on November 21, President William Ruto acknowledged the financial difficulties faced by Kenyans and assured them that efforts are underway to alleviate these issues.