Are African Immigrants Reconsidering America?

That diversity in people and cultures attracted her to the country to study. Under the new U.S. administration led by Donald Trump, the same diversity that has enriched the country's DNA is now under attack. And for former U.S. residents like Obi, the new attacks on diversity and immigration are changing their perception of the country. It could also significantly impact immigration patterns for Africans seeking to make a home in the United States.

"The Trump administration has indicated that individuals provided deportation orders can be detained right there in court. I think it's a very scary moment for all these individuals who don't know what will happen," Glen Raj, an immigration lawyer who has worked with asylum seekers from Africa, tells OkayAfrica.

The Trump administration has enacted several policies, increasing mass deportations. The administration has also been notably dismissive of due process, often leaving residents with legal status feeling afraid and unsure of what might happen next. "There's no consistency, there are no rules, everything seems ad hoc, there's nothing that we can rely on, and even if there are precedents in law, we can't rely on them because the Trump administration is not adhering to those things," Raj says.

Raj says he has been receiving an overwhelming number of calls from legal residents with protected status asking if they can leave the country and expressing fears of potential deportation or arrest. "In my 20 years or so of practicing immigration law, I have never seen the amount of U.S. citizens and green card holders calling our officers to seek help on how they can return to the country legally."

The line around legality is now blurred. For instance, some African students in the U.S. have had their study visas revoked for participating in protests. Many more are being extra careful, deleting digital footprints or information that may jeopardize their status. According to theAssociated Press, at least 600 students from more than 90 colleges and universities have had their legal status terminated and had their visas revoked — many for minor offenses and charges that were later dropped.

Graver times

Obi says that, as a student during Trump's first term, there were fears and cultural alienation due to some of his policies, and her school's international student admin was constantly sending "immigration policy change" emails. The situation wasn't as fear-inducing as it is now, she says.

"I still believed laws and rules existed for a reason, and I made sure I adhered to all of them. But this time around, he (Trump) and the people around him have taken full advantage of the popularity of nationalist rhetoric to drum up violent anti-immigration propaganda."

A bullish approach to immigration was the prominent promise of Trump's campaign in the lead-up to the 2024 election. And despite several legal challenges and judge-ordered blockages, Trump's administration has been radical about enacting his anti-immigration policies.

Still hopeful

Raj says that despite the unpredictability of Trump's policies, people are still interested in visiting or emigrating to the United States.

"America is still seen as some bastion of success; somewhere people go to become successful financially, and that's where they seek enterprise," Raj says. "I still have individuals calling our offices to migrate to America."

But for some, the country has completely alienated the people who once held it in high regard. "Both people on student visas and those on green cards are being arrested and deported. There is no safety net or rules and regulations anymore. It would make no sense for me to even think about returning to the U.S. as an immigrant now," Obi says.

Obi says the current climate has affected her family and friends in the United States. "My family and friends in the U.S. are terrified, unable to travel out of the U.S., fearing they will be detained or not allowed to return. Even the citizens believe they are next on the deportation list. It's unsafe to be a Black/brown person in the U.S. and really in the world right now."

For people like Obi, who have witnessed America's potential and current reality, recommending life in the United States has become increasingly difficult. "I honestly won't advise anyone to move here right now, but I also know people are struggling and suffering all around the world," Obi says. "Immigration has existed long, long before any of us, and will continue to even when we die. Good luck to you and us all; we need it!"