‘They’re going to kill me’: Woman fled Iran for asylum in US. Then even with protection order, she was deported to African country US advises against

Many asylum seekers flee their countries because it is unsafe. However, as the Trump Administration increases immigration enforcement, the haven that was the United States has merely become a step to countries where they could be worse off. One seeker was Nika (a pseudonym to protect herself and her family). She had believed that she had successfully reached one of the best countries in the world, but her sense of safety was short-lived. 

Nika reportedly spent her youth protesting the Iranian regime. So returning is a terrifying prospect. Nika told CNN, “I lost too much of my friends. They [the Islamic Republic] killed them. And some of them are still in prison. I know if I was in Iran, they’re going to kill me.” As the Iran war unfolded, and Trump promised that “help is on its way,” Nika had hope that she might get to go back home. However, her journey took a blinding turn.

After being detained by ICE for months at the border, Nika was allowed to live in California. Then DHS summoned Nika for what she understood to be a routine meeting in June. Documents reviewed by CNN show that authorities had already decided to deport her, so she was arrested at the meeting. Since she had a protection order from a judge and couldn’t be sent back to Iran, she was deported to the Central African Republic. The State Department has flagged the country because of the risks of crime, kidnapping, terrorism, and disease.

Out of the frying pan, into the fire

On June 11, Nika was placed on a flight alongside 17 other migrants. She only realized her destination when she saw it on the seatback screen. Her lawyer, Sahar Jalili Pawelski, told CNN, “I remember when the flight took off, I just sat on the floor, called my mom and cried. I live those moments. You know what that person must’ve been feeling. The loneliness she must have felt.”

DHS maintains that these actions are legal and necessary. In a statement to CNN, the department noted, “These third country agreements, which ensure due process under the U.S. Constitution, are essential to the safety of our homeland and the American people. We are applying the law as written. If a judge finds an illegal alien has no right to be in this country, we are going to remove them. Period.” 

A lot of the migrants sent with Nika had protection orders, which are intended to keep them from being returned to places where they are in danger of persecution, torture, or death. Deportations in these instances were reportedly rare until Trump’s return to power. As Deputy Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller has warned, “America’s doors are closed, fully, to asylum seekers.”

CNN mentioned that the details of why the Central African Republic agreed to accept migrants from the US is unknown. However, it should be noted that this year, the US gave $85 million to the UN’s International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) operations in the Central African Republic. Their Humanitarian Fund also received a donation of $50 million.

Internal U.S. government documents obtained by CBS News reveal that the administration has sent over 100 deportees to eight different countries across Africa over 10 days. These flights have transported individuals from nations including Afghanistan, Cuba, Nicaragua, Nepal, Turkey, and Venezuela to places like Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Liberia, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone.

So, the scope of these third-country deportation agreements is extensive. CBS noted that more than 30 countries globally are involved in receiving deportees who have no prior ties to those regions.

One particularly harrowing case involves an Afghan man identified as Khalil. Per CBS, Khalil was granted “withholding of removal” by a judge in August 2025. However, he did not qualify for asylum due to specific policy restrictions. So, the administration was able to bypass the block on his return to his home country by sending him to the Central African Republic instead. 

His lawyer, Alma David, reportedly warned, “The goal is to obliterate the global refugee protection system, and his case should serve as a warning of the unconscionable consequences.” For the deportees, their lives have different fears.

Per CNN, Nika has been in Bangui for over two months. However, she often avoids leaving her apartment due to safety concerns and her experience with local police. She has also suffered from malaria. While the U.S. government argues that individuals have the choice to return to their home countries for a free flight and a $3,000 check, many like Nika view that as a death sentence. 

As the administration expands these third-country deportation campaigns, the future for migrants and asylum seekers caught in this legal limbo remains dire. They have no way back home, and no guaranteed safety.