US President Donald Trump is deporting 15 Kenyan nationals whom his government calls the “worst of the worst”.
The Kenyans were arrested by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a federal agency under the country’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The Kenyans, who are now branded “criminal aliens, have already been convicted of crimes ranging from drink driving to kidnapping.
“Under Secretary (Kristi)Noem's leadership, the hardworking men and women of DHS and ICE are fulfilling President Trump’s promise and carrying out mass deportations — starting with the worst of the worst — including the illegal aliens you see here,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
The list, released on December 10, shows that the arrests spanned several US states.
The Kenyans, now in detention, were picked up in coordinated operations across Colorado, Texas, California, Arizona, Tennessee, Utah, Massachusetts, Washington, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Minnesota.
Their alleged crimes range from violent offences and assault to domestic violence, fraud, drug-related offences and driving under influence. Among them are cases of aggravated assault, weapon offences, racketeering, drug offences, kidnapping and other serious criminal activity.
Information released by ICE in January, immediately after Trump took office, revealed that 1,282 Kenyans were among 1.4 million immigrants on the US deportation list, as of November 24, 2024.
It is not clear how many have been deported so far.
