The Trump administration deported the first wave of 85 Nigerian immigrants who were in the U.S. illegally on Monday, prompting the country's foreign affairs minister to ask for a "more humane process" to the repatriations.
U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria Richard Mills Jr. told reporters that among the first to be sent back were "convicted prisoners — those who committed crimes and are 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 that scores of migrants landed in Lagos with another 116 detained in the U.S.
"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 said in a post to X.
She said Nigeria had assurances from Mills that "repatriations would be done with dignity and respect for human rights."
According to the Department of Homeland Security, there had been 5,693 deportations as of Feb. 3.
Mills was confirmed as ambassador to Nigeria last May and has served since July.
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