Additional Coverage:
- Iranian activist deported to country she’s never been to after fleeing Iran for better life (themirror.com)
An Iranian migrant who sought refuge in the United States has shared the harsh new reality she faces after being deported by the Trump administration to the Central African Republic-a country with which she has no connection. Identifying herself only as Nika, she described her life in Bangui, the capital, where she has lived for over two months. She revealed to CNN that she now spends most of her time confined to her apartment, too fearful to venture outside.
Nika detailed frequent encounters with local police, who she says stop her on errands, demanding bribes and threatening arrest if she refuses. Authorities have denied these allegations. Adding to her difficulties, Nika recently battled malaria and was hospitalized locally.
This troubling situation stems from a controversial policy that exploits a legal loophole: after U.S. courts blocked deportations to some migrants’ home countries, the government arranged for third countries to accept them instead. For migrants like Nika, this means facing uncertain and unsafe conditions in unfamiliar lands.
A longtime activist, Nika fears for her life and that of her family in Iran, where she protested against the regime and lost many friends-some killed, others imprisoned. “If I were in Iran, they would kill me,” she said.
Following her initial detention at the U.S. border and months in ICE custody, Nika lived freely in California. But in June, she received a request from the Department of Homeland Security to attend what appeared to be a routine meeting.
Unknown to her, U.S. authorities had already decided to deport her weeks earlier. Upon arrival, she was arrested.
Reflecting on the experience, Nika said, “This is one of the very hard days in my life,” her voice trembling with fear. She only discovered her destination when boarding the plane, seeing it displayed on the seat screen in front of her.
Normally, migrants at risk of death, torture, or persecution are shielded from deportation. However, since President Trump’s return to office last year with a pledge for extensive deportations, policies have tightened dramatically. Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff and a leading immigration hardliner, has openly stated that “America’s doors are closed, fully, to asylum seekers.”
Nika’s story underscores the profound human cost of these shifting immigration policies and raises urgent questions about the safety and rights of deported migrants sent to countries unfamiliar and often dangerous to them.