The Kenyan population in the United States faces a genuine threat of decline following the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States.
During his inaugural speech on Monday, January 21, Trump announced plans to fulfil his campaign promise of conducting mass deportations upon assuming office.
Outlining a series of actions aimed at reshaping his new administration’s policies, Trump specifically targeted individuals living in the US without proper documentation. He stated, “We will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came."
On the first day of his presidency, Trump vowed to issue nearly 100 executive orders, 10 of which were closely tied to immigration—an issue that was a central focus of his 2024 campaign.
Shortly after being sworn into office, Trump announced an executive action aimed at ending birthright citizenship, further increasing the number of individuals affected by the lack of US citizenship.
According to Trump, his push for the deportation of undocumented immigrants is intended to bolster national security and ensure that US resources primarily benefit its citizens.
Once these executive orders are enacted, at least 30,000 Kenyans, believed to be living in the US without proper documentation, will be directly affected.
Kenyans residing in metropolitan areas across the US are particularly at risk, as there are indications that immigration raids could commence almost immediately, with Trump appearing resolute in fulfilling his campaign promises.
According to the International Migrant Stock 2020 dataset by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the US hosts the highest number of Kenyan migrants (157,000), followed by the United Kingdom (139,000).
Trump’s executive orders have faced criticism from the international community, including lobby groups that have expressed their intention to challenge the directives in court.
In New Hampshire, immigration advocates have already filed a lawsuit opposing Trump’s decision to end birthright citizenship.
This follows an executive order declaring that babies born in the US would not be recognised as citizens by the federal government if their father is not a US citizen or lawful permanent resident.
