As scrutiny intensified over the heavily redacted release of Jeffrey Epstein files, the White House abruptly shifted focus, with the president announcing U.S. military strikes in Nigeria, framing the action as a defense of Christianity.
The move reverberated sharply through the Washington metropolitan area, home to one of the nation’s largest African immigrant populations.
Trump claimed the United States carried out “powerful and deadly” strikes against Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria, accusing them of “slaughtering” Christians. The announcement came as lawmakers and advocates questioned why Epstein-related records mandated for release by Congress were delivered with sweeping redactions and missing context.
“The United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding a Christmas message that included, “MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists.”
The Pentagon released video showing at least one projectile launched from a U.S. warship. U.S. Africa Command later confirmed the strikes occurred in Sokoto State and said they were conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked Nigeria for its cooperation, even as Trump publicly criticized Nigerian officials.
The rhetoric landed in the Washington, D.C., region, home to one of the largest African immigrant populations in the United States. According to the Institute for Immigration Research, about 372,710 Nigerian immigrants live nationwide, with roughly 27,570 residing in the local area.
Prince George’s County and Charles County, Maryland, have the highest shares of Nigerian-born residents in the region. Many work in health care, service, and technical professions.
The region’s African population has grown so significantly that Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) proclaimed September African Heritage Month in 2024, citing the cultural and economic contributions of African immigrants. Census Bureau data place the D.C. region fourth nationally in African population, though local leaders say the numbers fail to capture the full picture.
“I think we’re saying that maybe around 20% of the population is really not properly counted,” Prince George’s County Council member Wala Blegay (D) said last year. “My parents came here as immigrants, but I was born in the U.S., and it doesn’t even count their children. So really, we have a large growing population.”
Blegay, along with fellow council members Wanika Fisher (D) and Krystal Oriadha (D), identifies as part of the African Diaspora. She has said African immigrants are often categorized simply as Black Americans, masking distinct identities while still absorbing the consequences of racially charged political narratives.
Nigerian officials rejected Trump’s religious framing of the strikes. Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar told the BBC the operation targeted terrorists and “has nothing to do with a particular religion.”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria echoed that position, stressing that violence in Nigeria affects people of all faiths.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with roughly 240 million residents, has faced years of attacks by extremist groups and criminal networks. Just days before Trump’s statement, a blast at a mosque in northeastern Nigeria killed five people and injured dozens.
As Nigeria faces renewed U.S. scrutiny, including travel restrictions and placement on religious freedom watchlists, leaders in the Washington region say the U.S. president’s language risks inflaming fear among African immigrant families who have built lives in the DMV over decades.
“I stand committed to doing everything within my power to enshrine religious freedom in Nigeria and to protect Christians, Muslims, and all Nigerians from violence,” Tinubu wrote.