Kenyan Nurse in US Faces Deportation After Viral Video Exposes Workplace Abuse Allegations

Country: United States
Date Published: December 7, 2025

A Kenyan nurse working in Texas has sparked intense online debate on X after a viral video surfaced alleging severe workplace abuse and threats of deportation, drawing thousands of reactions from the Kenyan diaspora and human rights advocates. Posted by verified Kenyan influencer @EstherPassaris on December 7, the clip shows the nurse, identified as Mercy Wanjiku, tearfully recounting how her American employer docked her pay and reported her to immigration authorities following complaints about overwork. The post, which garnered over 15,000 likes and 4,000 retweets within hours, has ignited discussions on the exploitative conditions faced by Kenyan healthcare workers abroad.

Wanjiku, who has been in the US for five years on an H-1B visa, claimed in the video that she was forced to work 16-hour shifts without breaks during a staffing shortage at a Dallas hospital. "They said if I complain, they'll send me back to Kenya," she stated, her voice breaking as she displayed text messages from her supervisor. Regular X users, including @KenyanAbroadHub, amplified the story in a thread that received 2,500 quote tweets, highlighting similar experiences from other Kenyan nurses in states like California and New York. News account @KenyansUSA quoted immigration experts warning that such retaliation could lead to swift deportation proceedings under tightened US visa enforcement.

The controversy has split opinions on X, with some users like @MAGA_Kenyan defending US employers by arguing that labor laws protect workers, while others, including prominent diaspora voice @Bahati, called for a boycott of Texas hospitals recruiting from Kenya. A poll by @DiasporaWatchKE, posted the same day, showed 78% of 10,000 respondents believing the nurse's account, fueling calls for intervention from the Kenyan embassy in Washington. Trending under #SaveMercyWanjiku, the hashtag amassed over 50,000 posts by evening, blending support with debates on whether Wanjiku exaggerated for sympathy.

Kenyan officials have yet to respond publicly, but X discussions reference past cases where diaspora workers successfully sued for unfair treatment. As the video continues to circulate, with shares from international accounts like @AmnestyUSA, it underscores broader challenges for the estimated 100,000 Kenyans in the US healthcare sector—remittances from whom total billions annually. Wanjiku's ordeal has prompted promises of legal aid from pro-bono groups, keeping the story at the forefront of Kenyan Twitter trends into the night.