U.S. Issues Final Deportation Orders for 495 Moroccans

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has announced that 495 Moroccans are currently subject to final deportation orders, according to an official report for 2024. The agency stated that some of these individuals have not yet been detained or deported as part of an ongoing large-scale deportation campaign.

Statistics and Figures

• 49 Moroccans were deported in 2024, compared to 18 in 2023 and 14 in 2022.
• The total number of individuals on the final deportation list is 1,445,549, including:
  • 41,323 from African countries (2.86% of the total).
  • Mexico leads the list with 252,044 individuals.
  • Morocco ranks 10th among the most affected African countries, behind Somalia, Mauritania, and Nigeria.

Policies and Operations

The U.S. is currently witnessing one of the largest deportation campaigns in its history, driven by policies reminiscent of former President Donald Trump’s administration.

• In the first week of reinstating these policies, authorities arrested over 2,200 individuals in widespread raids.
• The number of deportations is expected to increase significantly in the coming months as these policies continue to be enforced.

Financial and Humanitarian Challenges

• Financial Deficit: ICE faces a $230 million budget shortfall, raising concerns about the sustainability of these operations.
• Humanitarian Concerns: Human rights organizations warn that mass deportations could:
  • Separate families.
  • Exacerbate social and economic crises in affected countries.

Focus on National Security

• According to the annual report, enforcement efforts targeted:
  • National security threats: Over 271,000 individuals were deported in 2024.
  • Public safety concerns: Among those deported:
    • 89,000 were convicted criminals.
    • 237 were suspected terrorists.

Expectations for 2025

• Experts predict a significant rise in deportations throughout 2025.
• These policies are expected to increase diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and affected countries, while also worsening humanitarian challenges in nations receiving deported individuals