Cuban and Other Trump Deportees Sent to ‘Do Not Travel’ African Nation Say: ‘We Cannot Leave’
Dozens of foreign nationals deported from the United States have found themselves stranded in the conflict-ridden Central African Republic under expanding third-country deportation agreements.
Men from nations including Cuba, Eritrea, Ecuador, Honduras, Serbia, Russia, and Vietnam report arriving in the impoverished African nation with no prior notice, no local ties, and no identification documents. Many of these individuals had lived in the United States for years, establishing families and securing legal protections against deportation to their home countries due to fears of torture or persecution.
Now trapped in the capital city of Bangui, the deportees describe navigating severe economic hardship, language barriers, and profound separation from their loved ones.
The controversial practice of sending deportees to unstable third countries has intensified legal and humanitarian scrutiny surrounding modern immigration enforcement.
A Sudden Arrival in an Unfamiliar Land
Immigrants transported across the globe express shock and confusion after being relocated to one of the most volatile regions in the world.
For Cuban national Yasmany Moreno de Armas, the journey began after living and working in Florida for nearly a decade. Following an arrest by immigration authorities over expired parole status, the 31-year-old spent approximately a year in federal custody before discovering he had been flown directly to the Central African Republic.
The landlocked nation currently faces severe armed conflict and political instability, prompting the U.S. State Department to maintain a Level 4 travel advisory urging Americans not to visit.
Deportees living in temporary housing in Bangui explain that they have no practical way to leave the country. Moreno de Armas shared that he had never even heard of the nation prior to his arrival and now struggles with having no identification papers or financial resources.
The abrupt relocation has left many feeling effectively stateless in an environment where they cannot speak the local language or contact legal representation easily.
Separation From Families and Children
The human cost of these third-country removals is deeply felt by families remaining in the United States.
Eritrean native Zena Gebrgzabher was also among those sent to the African nation after years of building a stable life in Maryland. Working as a commercial truck driver, Gebrgzabher lived alongside his wife and their five-year-old son, both of whom are American citizens.
His sudden removal occurred during a routine check-in with immigration officials, leaving his young family devastated and struggling to explain his absence to their child.
His wife described the deportation as profoundly unfair, noting that their young son constantly asks when his father will return home. Because Gebrgzabher has no personal connections or relatives in the region, his family remains deeply concerned for his physical safety.
The emotional strain is compounded by the fact that neither man had a serious criminal record beyond immigration and minor traffic violations.
Legal Loopholes and Third-Country Pacts
The deportations highlight how bilateral agreements allow authorities to circumvent standard deportation barriers.
Under federal immigration policy, the government has established agreements with more than thirty nations to accept foreign deportees. These third-country pacts are frequently utilized when an immigrant’s home nation limits or refuses repatriation flights, or when an individual has won specific protections in immigration court.
In Gebrgzabher’s case, an immigration judge granted him protection under the Convention Against Torture in 2017, which legally barred authorities from returning him to Eritrea due to past military conscription and detention. However, that ruling did not grant formal permanent asylum, leaving a legal opening for officials to remove him to a third nation instead.
Similarly, Moreno de Armas faced documented risks of persecution in Cuba for previously attempting to flee the island, making third-country transfer a mechanism to execute removal orders despite local dangers.
Humanitarian Concerns and Legal Precedents
Advocates and affected individuals argue that transferring immigrants to third countries creates unacceptable safety and ethical risks.
Immigration attorneys and human rights observers warn that sending individuals to nations experiencing civil strife exposes them to severe physical dangers. The lack of consular representation, local integration programs, or basic travel documentation leaves deportees highly vulnerable to exploitation and violence in unfamiliar environments.
Both Moreno de Armas and Gebrgzabher emphasized that deportation policies should focus on returning individuals to their homelands rather than displacing them into foreign cultures.
As additional countries enter third-country agreements, legal challenges are expected to test whether sending protected individuals to conflict zones complies with international humanitarian standards.
Question for you. Do you believe the United States should be allowed to deport individuals to third countries if returning them to their home nation poses a threat to their safety?
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