Civic education is critical to the preparation of migrant youth for democratic living by instilling in them a sense of belonging to the polity. However, liberal conceptions of the citizen as a rational individual actor do not explain the relationship between emotions and belonging or how affective boundaries can limit civic participation. This study highlights issues faced by migrant youth from West African countries whose identities as African, Muslim, and migrant make them frequent targets of an affective politics of fear. Adopting a critical visual research methodology, this study seeks to better understand how five West African youth attending an urban high school for late-arrival migrants constructed belonging within and across nation-state boundaries. The youth mobilized emotions, including solidarity and conviviality, in order to constitute themselves as affective citizens, thus providing insight into how social studies educators can incorporate emotion in the classroom as civic resources for political engagement.