Kenyans in the US on Kenyans in the US as Trump Resumes Harsh Deportation Flights

Kenyans in the US on High Alert as Trump Resumes Harsh Deportation Flights

Kenyans living in the United States are once again facing deep anxiety after the Trump administration resumed deportation flights under its infamous third-country policy.

On Wednesday, July 16, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed the deportation of five migrants to Eswatini. The deportees, originally from Jamaica, Laos, Yemen, and Cuba, had no ties to the Southern African nation.

Speaking to the press, a DHS official stated:

“These individuals had committed horrific crimes and posed a serious risk. Their removal was necessary.”

But this move has sparked outrage and fear, especially within migrant communities.

Many Kenyans in the U.S., especially undocumented ones or those with pending deportation cases, now fear they could be next.

“You don’t need to be a criminal anymore to be deported,” said Wanjiru Ndegwa, a Kenyan living in Texas.
“Even visa overstayers and asylum seekers are now targets.”

In January, reports revealed that over 1,200 Kenyans had exhausted their legal appeals and were issued final deportation orders. Their fate now hangs by a thread.

Under Trump’s revived policy, migrants are being removed to unfamiliar countries labeled as “safe”—countries they’ve never visited or have no connection to.

“This is terrifying,” shared Joseph Otieno, a Kenyan student in Florida.
“I came here to study and now I feel like a criminal just for overstaying my visa.”

Previously, individuals from Iran, Venezuela, Pakistan, and China were also deported to distant nations like Panama, El Salvador, and Costa Rica. The policy has already affected mixed-status families—where one member may be a U.S. citizen and another undocumented.

Even asylum seekers, including Kenyans who fled political threats, aren’t safe.

“We’re being treated like disposable baggage,” said Amina Noor, a Kenyan asylum seeker in Minnesota.
“They don’t care where they send us—as long as we’re gone.”

One recent deportee, a 39-year-old man with Kenyan roots, broke down during a CNN interview after being deported to Jamaica—a country he’d never stepped foot in.

“I was born in the U.S. and my mom is Kenyan. But they just dumped me here. I feel stateless,” he said.

As these harsh removals intensify, immigrant rights advocates are calling for immediate review of the third-country deportation framework. However, with Trump’s administration pressing ahead, the window for reprieve is closing fast.

“It’s now a matter of when—not if—for many undocumented Kenyans,” said immigration lawyer Brenda Kihara.

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Kenyans in the US on High Alert as Trump Resumes Harsh Deportation Flights