Why Wole Soyinka Destroyed His US Green Card After Trump’s 2016 Election Victory

Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka reportedly destroyed his United States green card in 2016 following Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election.

The literary icon had earlier vowed that if Trump won, he would cut up his green card and end his residency ties with the US, a move he described as a symbolic protest.

Speaking at Oxford University’s Ertegun House on November 2, 2016, before the election, Soyinka declared:

“The moment they announce his victory, I will cut my green card myself and start packing up.”
‘I Have Disengaged from the United States’ — Soyinka

True to his word, Soyinka later confirmed at a conference in South Africa that he had done exactly that.

The revered playwright said he had “disengaged” from the US and returned home, keeping his promise to leave once Trump assumed office.

“I have already done it; I have disengaged from the United States. I have done what I said I would do,” he stated.
He added, “I had a horror of what is to come with Trump… I threw away the green card, and I have relocated, and I’m back to where I have always been.”
A Protest Against Xenophobia

Soyinka explained that his decision was not out of spite but a moral protest against Trump’s “xenophobic rhetoric” and divisive campaign remarks about Blacks, Hispanics, and Muslims.

He said as long as Trump remained president, he preferred to visit the country using a regular visa rather than enjoy the privileges of permanent residency.
Understanding the Green Card Relinquishment

A US green card grants lawful permanent residency, but holders can voluntarily renounce it.

This can be done officially by filing Form I-407, Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status, with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), or informally by ceasing residence and showing intent to abandon the status.

Soyinka’s “Wolexit” was both a political and personal statement—reflecting his disapproval of Trump’s leadership style and his commitment to stand by his principles.
US Revokes Soyinka’s Visa in 2025

Almost a decade after the incident, the United States government has reportedly revoked Soyinka’s non-immigrant visa.

In a letter dated October 23, 2025, from the American Consulate-General in Lagos, the US government instructed him to submit his passport for visa cancellation, citing “additional information” obtained after the visa was issued.

Soyinka revealed that he had applied for the visa to travel to the US after receiving a letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) about a tax audit.

He explained that the trip was intended to resolve the issue and prevent being tagged a “tax dodger.”
A Long Relationship Nears Its End

Soyinka first obtained his green card in the 1990s during a sabbatical at Emory University, with the help of former US President Jimmy Carter.

However, recent developments suggest that the celebrated author’s decades-long ties with the United States may have finally come to a complete close.