A Nigerian man deported from the United States in 2025 is at the centre of a Supreme Court battle over whether preparing meals for a suspected separatist group amounts to material support for terrorism.
According to Reuters, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the Trump administration’s appeal against a ruling that favoured Izuchukwu Ozurumba, who allegedly was forced to cook for the Unknown Gunmen.
Ozurumba’s lawyers said he travelled to a camp outside Lagos in 2022 for a job but later discovered it was operated by the group. They alleged he was prevented from leaving and forced to work without pay for six months before escaping.
He later fled to Venezuela following alleged beatings and death threats before entering the U.S. illegally in July 2023 to seek asylum.
An immigration judge denied his application, ruling that preparing meals for the group amounted to material support for terrorism. However, an appeals court overturned the decision in September 2025, describing him as a captive labourer.
The Trump administration challenged the ruling, arguing that providing meals to members of a terrorist organisation constitutes material support under US immigration law.
The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments and deliver its ruling by the end of June 2027.
