'I was forced at gunpoint': Nigerian asylum seeker’s fate hangs on US Supreme Court ruling

The United States Supreme Court has decided to review a case concerning a Nigerian man accused of providing aid to a terrorist group by cooking food for them. The immigration status of Izuchukwu Ozurumba was revoked following his denial of asylum, as his actions were deemed to be "material support" under US immigration law. His predicament began in 2022 when he started working at a separatist camp in southern Nigeria, a situation he claimed he was compelled to accept.

Ozurumba eventually escaped to Venezuela, and later crossed the US border in 2023. He faced deportation in 2024 after being found guilty of providing material support to terrorists, a law which prohibits individuals from receiving asylum if they assist terrorist organizations. However, a federal appeals court overturned this judgment, asserting that his role as a cook did not prove his involvement in the group's terrorist activities, labeling him as a "captive laborer".

Ozurumba was indeed deported back to Nigeria in April 2025. The Trump administration is now seeking the Supreme Court's intervention to overturn this decision, a move that could set a precedent for handling similar cases. This ruling could potentially impact the criteria used to determine what constitutes material support for terrorism in asylum cases.

The Supreme Court will decide on this matter during its ongoing term, which started on October 5, 2026, and is set to conclude by late June 2027.