The recent arrest of Real Housewives of Potomac stars Dr. Wendy Osefo and her husband Eddie Osefo has left fans stunned — and raised serious questions about what could happen next for the Nigerian-born couple.
According to The U.S. Sun, the couple was arrested earlier this month on felony fraud charges after allegedly faking a home burglary to collect insurance money. The outlet reports that the Osefos “were arrested in Maryland after being accused of falsely claiming their five-bedroom, five-bathroom, $1 million home was burgled in 2024.”
Where ICE Stands on the Case
Following the arrest, speculation spread quickly about whether the couple could face deportation. However, law enforcement sources told The U.S. Sun that, for now, “they have no ICE detainers against them as of now, and these days ICE is very proactive in beginning proceedings swiftly after an arrest.”
The source also explained how the process typically unfolds:
“Generally, what happens is the individual goes to trial, they get a sentence – assuming they’re found guilty, they’re sent to serve their sentence, and then upon their serving their sentence, ICE picks them up.”
While both Wendy and Eddie were born in Nigeria, it appears they are naturalized U.S. citizens. Wendy came to the United States “when she was just three years old,” and Eddie, who is now a lawyer, arrived as a minor as well.
The couple has also voted in past federal elections — something only U.S. citizens can legally do. Wendy has previously shared her political participation on social media, revealing that she and Eddie “voted for Kamala Harris in 2024,” and that she voted for Joe Biden in 2020, according to her book Tears of My Mother: The Legacy of My Nigerian Upbringing.
Could Citizenship Still Be at Risk?
While their citizenship status would normally protect them from deportation, one legal expert says the current political climate could complicate things. Immigration attorney Judith Delus-Montgomery told The U.S. Sun that this administration has taken a different approach.
“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.”
She added that Wendy and Eddie’s political involvement could make them a target:
“These people [Wendy and Eddie] who have been to the White House, they have pounded pavement for Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. We see that [this administration] has the ability to go after whoever they want and to make a mountain out of a molehill.”
Delus-Montgomery also warned that even small errors in citizenship paperwork could be used to strip individuals of their naturalization status:
“Any minor error in any previous application can nullify their status.”
That said, she clarified that the fraud charges themselves wouldn’t automatically trigger denaturalization. It would only become an issue if “the government decided to look at their applications for citizenship [or residency, green cards, visas and the like] and found issue within those.”
What’s Next for the Osefos
For now, ICE has not taken any action against the Osefos, and the couple will first have to face their criminal charges before any immigration proceedings could even be considered.
Wendy has also lost her position at Wesleyan University in the wake of the scandal, though her representative insists “she resigned and was not fired.”
As the legal process unfolds, fans of The Real Housewives of Potomac — and viewers across the Bravo universe — will be watching closely to see what comes next for the once-golden couple.