A woman who fled Iran and sought protection in the United States was deported to the Central African Republic (CAR) on a flight that departed from Louisiana on Thursday night, her lawyer told Reuters on Friday. The transfer, described by her counsel as "super dangerous," underscores debates over U.S. arrangements to send migrants to third countries with which they have no apparent ties.
The Iranian American Legal Defense Fund (IALDF) had warned on Thursday that three Iranian women who escaped persecution were at risk of being removed from the United States, including one who had converted to Christianity. In the end, however, only one activist was on the plane, according to Emily Trostle, the lawyer representing the deported woman. Trostle did not rule out the possibility that the other two women could be deported on a later flight.
The aircraft was expected to continue to Bangui, the CAR capital, with a stop in Accra, Ghana, the lawyer said. Trostle told Reuters that she had submitted extensive filings detailing why sending these individuals to CAR would create grave danger for them. She said the people removed from the United States were being left in a country where they lacked legal status, familial or social ties, or a support network, and that she feared they could ultimately be returned to the countries they originally fled.
"They have absolutely no connection to this place. In all of my filings I submitted tons of information about how this was super dangerous," Trostle said.
Requests for comment on the deportations to CAR were not immediately answered by the U.S. State Department or the Central African Republic presidency, according to the reporting. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated last week that all deportees would receive full due process.
The removals come under arrangements the United States has struck with Ghana and the Central African Republic during the Trump administration to accept third-country deportees. U.S. officials have used similar deals, including one with the Democratic Republic of Congo, to remove people who could not legally be returned to their home countries. Rights groups and advocates assert that the terms of these agreements are opaque and contend that many who are sent to third countries are ultimately repatriated, while the U.S. maintains the deals are lawful.
The IALDF said the Iranian nationals faced denial of their asylum claims because of a U.S. rule requiring asylum seekers to first apply for protection in countries they passed through before arriving in the United States. A federal court in California vacated that rule in May.
Advocacy groups have called the deportation of Iranians to CAR "a potentially fatal action," citing security concerns in the country and the prospect that deportees could be sent back to Iran. The CAR has seen a mixed security picture: President Faustin-Archange Touadera last year signed peace agreements with several rebel factions, while other groups were weakened as Russian mercenaries and Rwandan troops were deployed alongside U.N. peacekeepers to bolster the government.
Ali Rahnama, interim executive director at the IALDF, highlighted concern over the Russian presence in the Central African Republic, noting what he described as Moscow's close intelligence ties with Tehran.
The reporting also referenced recent regional and international tensions. It noted that the United States and Israel launched heavy strikes on Iran in late February, initiating a conflict described as ongoing for three months. It cited a statement by U.S. President Donald Trump in April in which he said he believed Iranians should rise up against their government if a ceasefire were declared, while also acknowledging that doing so would be too dangerous for many.
It remained unclear how many people were aboard the first deportation flight to CAR. An official briefed on the matter told Reuters on Thursday that the plane was expected to carry about 20 people, including Syrians and Afghans. The official also said the number of migrants ultimately deported to CAR under the agreement could reach into the hundreds.
Key details
- One Iranian pro-democracy activist was deported from the United States to the Central African Republic on a flight that departed from Louisiana on Thursday night.
- The Iranian American Legal Defense Fund had warned that three Iranian women were at risk of deportation; only one was on the flight, though others could face removal later.
- U.S. arrangements with Ghana and CAR to accept third-country deportees were negotiated under the Trump administration; rights groups say the deals lack transparency and can result in eventual repatriation.
Context on security and legal questions
The IALDF pointed to legal and security concerns underpinning its objections. Asylum denials were tied to a rule obliging asylum seekers to first seek protection in countries through which they transit - a rule vacated by a federal court in California in May, the organization said. Advocates argue deporting people to CAR exposes them to heightened danger given ongoing instability and foreign military presences.