The United States government has significantly widened the scope of Kenyan nationals classified among its most serious undocumented offenders, with the number rising from 15 to 28 in just over two months.
The move comes amid an intensified immigration enforcement campaign under President Donald Trump’s administration, which has prioritised the arrest and removal of undocumented immigrants deemed a threat to public safety due to criminal convictions.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the expanded list is part of a digital database launched in December to track undocumented immigrants who have been arrested and convicted across all 50 states. The platform is designed to enhance transparency around immigration enforcement, particularly as the United States prepares to host major global events, including the upcoming World Cup set to begin in July.
The term “worst of the worst” is used by U.S. security agencies to describe undocumented individuals with serious criminal histories. Over the last 50 days, 13 more Kenyans have been added to the list after being convicted of a wide range of offences.
These include drug trafficking, armed robbery, homicide, sexual offences involving minors, assault, and cruelty to children. Other charges cited involve aggravated assault using weapons, terror-related threats, money laundering, fraud, cheque forgery, and attempts to evade prosecution.
Additional convictions linked to the newly-listed individuals include domestic violence, driving under the influence, kidnapping a minor, violation of court orders, robbery, and possession of stolen property.
In a statement issued on January 20, 2026, DHS said the U.S. had removed more than 670,000 undocumented immigrants since the beginning of the renewed crackdown. The removals reportedly include individuals convicted of murder, rape, child abuse, gang-related crimes, and terrorism-related offences.
Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said the administration had given Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) broad authority to prioritise high-risk offenders from the first day in office. She added that enforcement efforts had also resulted in approximately two million voluntary departures.
To further accelerate removals, the U.S. government has rolled out a self-deportation programme using a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) mobile application. The incentive for voluntary departure was recently increased from about KSh129,000 to KSh336,000, with eligible participants also receiving free flights to their home countries.
Do you guys think President Donald Trump is doing the correct thing and should Kenya also do the same to US.nationals living in Kenya? What do you think?