Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has advised Nigerians and other Africans affected by the recent mass visa revocations in the United States to return home before possible arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Posting via his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, Sani reflected on the realities of migration, reminding citizens abroad that foreign lands can never replace home.
He wrote, “Nigerians and other thousands of Africans whose visas were recently revoked by President Trump should hasten and leave the country and return home before they get arrested by ICE. No matter how long you live in the comfort of your adopted home, you will someday be reminded that it’s not your father’s house.”
His statement followed reports that the U.S. State Department has revoked at least 80,000 visas since January 2025 under President Donald Trump’s administration — more than double the number from the previous year.
According to a report released last Thursday, the revoked visas include 16,000 linked to driving under the influence, 12,000 for assault, and 8,000 student visas. The department further attributed the revocations to reasons such as terrorist support, criminal activity, public safety concerns, visa overstays, and terrorism.
While the nationalities of the affected persons were not revealed, the department had earlier disclosed in August that more than 6,000 student visas were withdrawn over overstays and legal violations, including a few linked to “support for terrorism.”
The U.S. government has also tightened its visa policies in recent months. In July, the U.S. Embassy mandated all applicants for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas to make their social media accounts public to enhance background checks.
That same month, it announced policy changes affecting Nigerian applicants, including a reduction in the validity period for several visa categories.
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