NIGERIANS in the United States have set off panic alarms following the victory of the Republican candidate, Mr Donald Trump, in the just-concluded presidential election.

Mr Trump, who was the United States President between 2016 and 2020, defeated his rival, Ms Kamala Harris, in both electoral collage and popular votes to emerge president-elect for the second time last Wednesday.

During his campaigns, Mr Trump had pledged to carry the biggest deportation in American history if he returned for his second and final tenure.

READ ALSO: Okonjo-Iweala could win second term as WTO DG on November 29

“We’re going to have the largest deportation. We have no choice,” Trump said at a June 2024 campaign rally in Racine, Wisconsin.

Earlier in March rally in Dayton, Ohio, Mr Trump had said that some undocumented immigrants were not really human beings.

“I don’t know if you call them people. In some cases they are not people, in my opinion, but I’m not allowed to say that because the radical left says that’s a terrible thing to say,” Trump had said.

His comments have sparked reactions from all immigrants – particularly the Haitians who he accused of “eating our cats and our pets.”

Nigerians in panic mode

But Nigerians are not exempted. Nigerians who spoke with Economy Post said they were prepared for the worst under Mr Trump.

“President Trump has made it abundantly clear that he will massively deport thousands and millions of immigrants. As a student, I am a bit anxious of his term as president because he is quite erratic. No one knows exactly how he intends to carry out his mass deportation. I am a legal student here, but you never can tell. When your friends and mates are deported, would you be comfortable staying?” Ms Ucheoma Gabriel, a master’s degree student in a university in the western part of the United States, asked.

A Nigeria who lives in Philadelphia, Mr Kayode Ayetoto, said he was expecting a lot of changes in United States’ immigration, which would affect many Africans in the country.

READ ALSO: Wema Bank incurs N8bn in court cases, loses N239m to fraudsters

“I voted for Trump, but I have seen that his planned immigration policies are not mere words. He is bent on carrying them out to the fullest and I am concerned. The truth is that immigrants -legal or illegal – contribute a lot to this country and we should not just send anybody away. Some are refugees or fleeing from foreign dictatorial governments, and this should be noted by the Trump administration.

“As a Nigerian-American, I believe in Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ mantra because I have always believed that things are going terribly bad with Democrats in power. However, one way to make America great is to ensure that people are not deported unjustfiably. Knowing where I am coming from, I know some Nigerians might be affected, which will be a big blow,” he explained.

Another Nigerian woman, who works in Virginia but prefers anonymity, said immigration was her biggest reason for supporting the Democratic Party candidate in the just concluded election, Ms Kamala Harris.

“I never supported Trump because of his rhetoric on immigration, which I consider terrible and inhuman. Kamala Harris made it abundantly clear that she would never resort to that 19th century act of sending people away without carefully examining their situations. So, for those who chose Mr Trump, good luck to you. I know that some of them will also be victims. When they cry, I won’t be there to wipe away their tears,” she said.

Tom Homan, Trump’s man who is expected to seal the American border

A Nigerian-American who lives in Washington D.C., Ms Kate Wright, said Trump’s administration immigration policy would “separate the weed from the corn.”

“We deserve some sanity in America. There are lots of criminals here who need to leave. But I don’t think we should do it the way that Mr Trump suggests. You can’t separate children from their parents just because you want to eliminate criminality. These are our fears,” she explained.

Trump’s appoints tzar

Mr Trump, in fulfilling his election promises, has appointed Mr Tom Homan, 62, to serve as Trump’s “border tzar.”

Mr Homan, an immigration law enforcement officer with decades of experience, was appointed to help seal America’s borders against illegal crossings.

READ ALSO: Beyond the facade: Unveiling the violence in Nigeria’s ‘peaceful’ presidential elections

An American former police officer, immigration official, and political commentator, Homan served during the Obama administration and Trump’s first term.

“Homan has signaled enthusiastic support for a program to seek out and deport unlawful immigrants in his upcoming role, informally known as ‘border czar.’ In Trump’s first administration, when Homan served as acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he clashed with municipalities that sought to offer protection for undocumented residents,” said a U.S. newspaper, The Hill.