14 Gambians targeted in major US deportation

Fourteen Gambians have been publicly identified and photographed by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as part of an expanded “Worst of the Worst” list targeting 374 West African immigrants for deportation.

The updated roster, published on the official DHS website, highlights individuals the agency considers high-priority targets for removal due to criminal records, outstanding deportation orders, or serious immigration violations. Each person on the list is named and shown in a mugshot-style photograph, though DHS has withheld specific case details.

Nigeria leads with 124 citizens, followed by Liberia (94), Ghana (32), Sierra Leone (26), Cape Verde (23), and Senegal (19). The Gambia’s 14 nationals place it alongside Côte d’Ivoire in the middle of the West African contingent. Other countries represented include Mauritania (12), Burkina Faso (9), Niger (8), Guinea and Togo (6 each), Mali (5), Benin (1), and Guinea-Bissau (1).

For Gambian immigrant communities in the United States, the inclusion of 14 compatriots has sparked alarm. Many families with relatives in the diaspora are now anxiously scanning the published photographs, uncertain whether their loved ones are among those targeted. DHS has not disclosed how many of the Gambians have exhausted legal appeals, how many are in ICE custody, or whether any remain at large.

The socalled “Worst of the Worst” initiative reflects a broader push by US immigration authorities to prioritize enforcement against individuals they deem public safety risks. By releasing names and images publicly rather than limiting the information to law enforcement channels, DHS says it aims to promote transparency and encourage voluntary compliance with removal orders.

Immigration advocates, however, have sharply criticized the move, arguing that publicly shaming individuals before due process is complete risks unfair stigmatisation and vigilante backlash. They contend the practice could endanger families and undermine trust in the immigration system.

The development comes amid heightened scrutiny of West African migration to the US. For Gambian nationals — many of whom have built lives in America after fleeing economic hardship or political instability at home — the list underscores the precarious status of even long-term residents facing deportation.

DHS maintains the list serves as a deterrent and accountability tool, but the absence of granular information about the Gambians has left their communities in suspense.

DHS