Kenyans accused of informing on fellow citizens to US agents

Migrants stranded in Mexico, outside the facilities of the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance in the State of Mexico, waiting for an appointment to apply for a ''Visitor Card for Humanitarian Reasons'' to access health services and employment opportunities in Mexico while they are being assisted. [AFP] United States President Donald Trump Executive Orders on mass deportation and funding cuts on the health sector has hit Kenyans who have reportedly resorted to snitching on each other to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Over the past few days, some Kenyans living in The US have taken to social media platforms (Tiktok) claiming that the ICE was paying $750 (Sh96,900) to anyone who reports illegal immigrants for deportation, claims the enforcement dismissed as untrue. "Contrary to rumors, ICE is not giving a $750 reward for tips in support of civil immigration enforcement objectives. Targeted enforcement operations are planned arrests of known criminal aliens who threaten national security or public safety," ICE said in a statement. The agency is targeting any of the estimated more than 11 million immigrants in the country without legal status, not just those identified as priorities for deportation for being convicted criminals or other public safety threats. Kenyans have been taking to social media to call out their friends living in the US by snitching on their colleagues to the authorities. Others have been supportive by offering tips on how they can evade arrest by ICE officials. A Tik tok user identified as Obidan Dela alleged that a man had called the authorities on two Kenyan women who were later arrested by the ICE officials. The social media user claimed that the two women had been arrested after a Kenyan called the toll number given by the authorities. "Instead of helping each other by being each other's brother's keeper, some are reporting their natives to the US authorities, it's unfortunate," the user said. However, Nancy Githoitho, a Trump staunch supporter from San Francisco told The Standard on phone that there were some Kenyans who had held their counterparts hostage by hiding their passports and making them slaves saying in some circumstances, Kenyans of goodwill may have reported such incidents to the authorities. "Some could be utilizing the toll number to have those being enslaved go back to their country but the agency is not rewarding. ICE should focus on Kenyan employers who took their counterparts' passports and made them slaves. A section of Kenyan women living in the US who invited their partners here have been misusing them for lack of papers but with Trump's directive, they are finally free and can use the opportunity to reconnect with their people in Kenya," she said. She downplayed claims that Kenyans living in the US were a target adding the deportation mainly targeted people with criminal records even as she decried criticism by civil societies and Trump critics claiming when former President Barack Obama carried out deportation, he did not receive backlash that Trump was receiving from among others the US media. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is targeting at least 1,445,549 noncitizens from 187 countries, including 1,282 Kenyans, for deportation. African countries on the deportation list are Tanzania (301), Uganda (393), Somalia (4,090), South Sudan (136), Ethiopia (1,713) and Rwanda (338). Others include Burundi (462), Congo (795), Djibouti (29), Nigeria (3,690), Niger (642), Zimbabwe (545) and Zambia (174). Kenyan Ambassador to the US David Kerich said there were at least 250,000 Kenyans, while data from World Population Review estimated that by last year, many were concentrated in Minnesota, making up 0.12 per cent of the state's population. Although there are claims that there could be about 40,000 Kenyans living in the US illegally, Ambassador Kerich said there are no official records indicating the same. Kerich told The Standard that his office had not received official communication on the 1282 Kenyans facing deportation but said the communication may be done once the administration is through with the process as it nears deportation stage. He said a team had been deployed in various States looking for numbers to determine how many Kenyans could be living there undocumented. "The biggest problem is that the undocumented Kenyans do not turn out even when we are carrying out registration. They have not approached the embassy to date. My advice to Kenyans is panic is a natural reaction but it doesn't help. They can seek services from immigration lawyers form US who normally help in filling documentation. There are some who can be assisted especially those without criminal records," he said. Ambassador Kerich gave an example that if a Kenyan living in the US is married to a US citizen and has been assisting her spouse's parent, he could state the fact with the Immigration lawyers that if deported, the American citizen stood to suffer. Former President Uhuru Kenyatta termed Trump's move as 'wake- up call' the funding cuts by the US government. [File, Standard] On his part Dr Saisi Marasa, Kenya Diaspora Alliance President said that Trump's executive orders effects continue to reverberate across the US and the developing world so dependent on US funding for vital services. "Domestically US federal workers are bearing the brunt of Trump orders especially on return to office by scrapping workplace flexibilities such ad remote work and teleworking. The freeze on federal funding to grants and aids including USAID and PEPFAR is devastating especially to Sub-Saharan countries that depend nearly 70% on this funding for life saving ARVs and treatments for other infectious diseases. Maybe it's high time Africa got weaned from these programs so that their leaders can devise their homegrown solutions to their problems! Time will tell, but Trump wrecking the ball is for real," he said. This came even as former President Uhuru Kenyatta termed Trump's move as 'wake- up call' the funding cuts by the US government. Speaking during the East Africa Region Global Health Security Summit 2025 in Mombasa, the former head of state called for prudent use of resources and urged other African nations to be self-reliant as aid from other nations is not permanent. "Why are you crying and it is not your government, not your country and he has no reason to give you anything. You don't pay taxes to America. It is a wake-up call to say, what do we do to support ourselves instead of crying. Nobody will continue holding our hands to support us daily," he said. The former President said that the increase of wars in the continent is a waste of resources and ceasing it will help save more resources to be used in various departments. "Remember the amount of resources we waste killing each other, as we have spent more to buy those bullets to kill ourselves than we have lost in protecting ourselves and our health. Putting the end to such conflicts and re-purpose our resources shall remain the main critical agenda for the Africa continent," Uhuru said. The Trump administration in the U.S. on Tuesday moved to suspend the funding of the supply of lifesaving drugs for HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis in countries supported by US-AID signaling the end of the life-saving PEPFAR program, a casualty of the new order from Washington. PEPFAR has been crucial in saving lives and preventing millions of HIV infections. In Kenya, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) allocated Ksh.43 billion from October 2024 to September 2025. The funding cut, according to stakeholders in the health sector, could disrupt HIV treatment, putting patients at risk of becoming ill and spreading the virus. It could also lead to the emergence of drug-resistant strains.

Kenyans accused of informing on fellow citizens to US agents

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