Chidi Nwagbo, a 57-year-old Nigerian man, lost several fingers to frostbite while attempting to flee U.S. deportation by illegally crossing into Canada.
Nwagbo, who had lived in the U.S. since 1988, said he felt compelled to leave after President Trump’s re-election. “If I had known that this would have been the outcome, I don’t think I would have done it,” he said.
He paid $2,000 to smugglers in New Jersey who promised safe passage. Instead, he and other migrants were abandoned in the freezing woods between New York and Quebec in February. “As soon as I took a few steps, I knew I made a mistake,” he said.
The frostbite led to multiple finger amputations. Nwagbo and 98 others were eventually intercepted by Canadian police.
“Don’t do it. It’s risky,” he warned. “Smugglers only care about money. They don’t care about your safety.”