There are plenty of rumors swirling around in the aftermath of Wendy Osefo and Eddie Osefo’s arrest. One of the most confusing — and concerning — claims is that The Real Housewives of Potomac stars could be deported. The Nigerian-born reality stars are naturalized citizens, but in a world where ICE raids take precedence over food assistance, some fans are worried about the Osefos’ future in the United States.
Wendy and Eddie Osefo thankfully “have no ICE detainers against them as of now”
As Wendy and Eddie prepare their legal defense, The Sun spoke to several immigration experts to determine whether there’s any truth to the deportation rumors. The short answer? Not yet.
“They have no ICE detainers against them as of now, and these days ICE is very proactive in beginning proceedings swiftly after an arrest,” a law enforcement source told the outlet.
The source explained that if someone on ICE’s radar faces criminal charges, deportation proceedings begin after a conviction and the person serves their sentence. The case must move through the judicial system before ICE steps in. They don’t swoop in and deport them before they have a chance to stand trial.
Wendy and Eddie both immigrated from Nigeria as children. Immigration attorney Judith Delus-Montgomery explained that under normal circumstances, their citizenship wouldn’t be in jeopardy. But she warned that the current administration isn’t operating within traditional norms.
“However, this President and this administration have indicated that they are going to start denaturalizing citizens if they don’t like what they’re saying, if they don’t like their politics… if they can find a way to do it, they will do it,” the attorney explained.
“These people [Wendy and Eddie] who have been to the White House, they have pounded pavement for Kamala Harris and Joe Biden,” she continued. ‘“We see that [this administration] has the ability to go after whoever they want and to make a mountain out of a molehill.”
Even so, she explained that felony accusations wouldn’t be enough for the government to denaturalize Wendy and Eddie. Instead, they would likely need to investigate their citizenship applications to find errors or evidence of fraud. That would then be grounds for denaturalization or deportation.
With all of that said, deportation shouldn’t be at the top of Wendy and Eddie’s list of concerns. Jail time, on the other hand, is a real possibility. Their first court hearing is on November 7, and Wendy has already filed paperwork looking to have the case dismissed. It’s going to be a long road ahead for these two.
The Real Housewives of Potomac airs on Sundays at 8/7c on Bravo. Stream it the next day on Peacock.
TELL US – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE OSEFOS RISK OF DEPORTATION? DO YOU THINK EITHER OF THEM WILL PLEAD GUILTY TO THE CHARGES?
