Kenyan Man Eric Maloba Detained by ICE After Tennessee Crash

US immigration authorities have detained Kenyan national Eric Maloba in Tennessee after a tractor-trailer crash, placing him in removal proceedings over an alleged visa overstay.

Maloba, who holds a commercial driving licence issued by Texas, was reportedly instructing a trainee when the crash occurred on 28 August. Local officers working under the federal 287(g) programme took him into custody. The programme allows participating law enforcement agencies to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on certain immigration enforcement duties.

ICE said Maloba entered the United States legally in 2018 but remained after his authorised period of admission expired in April 2019. He is being held in Knoxville while his case proceeds through the immigration court system, which will determine whether he is subject to removal.

ICE has cited Maloba’s arrest as part of a wider enforcement campaign targeting immigration violators who hold commercial driving credentials. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has repeatedly supported expanding 287(g) partnerships, particularly in states with significant trucking industries.

ICE said 120 Tennessee law enforcement agencies are participating in the programme. A wider review found that 139 agencies across the United States are involved in one of its three operational models.

Maloba’s detention comes as the Department of Homeland Security has published a list of 125 African nationals facing removal. Nearly half are Kenyan nationals, with others from countries including Ghana, Mauritania, Morocco and South Africa.

The figures come as the Trump administration places greater emphasis on immigration enforcement involving commercial drivers. Officials have linked the focus to road safety and enforcement of federal immigration laws.

President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025 and has made immigration enforcement a central part of his domestic policy. His administration has sought to extend enforcement beyond border areas and into communities and industries across the country.