Trump administration deports Iranians to violence-plagued African nation

WorldPolitics
13 Jun 2026 • 6:43 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Trump administration deports Iranians to violence-plagued African nation

  • The Trump administration deported Iranian asylum seekers and others to the Central African Republic (CAR), a nation the State Department advises Americans not to travel to due to extreme risks, according to immigration lawyers.
  • Lawyers and advocacy groups condemned these deportations as a "death sentence," citing the dangers in CAR, including civil war, Russian paramilitary presence and the deportees' lack of language skills or connections.
  • At least one Iranian woman, who had sought asylum, was among approximately two dozen individuals deported, some of whom had court orders temporarily barring their removal.
  • The administration has established secret agreements with nearly two dozen countries, including impoverished and war-torn nations, to accept immigrants who cannot be returned to their home countries.
  • Critics argue this policy is a "cruel and lawless foreign policy" that exploits a legal loophole, with the U.S. pledging millions to these receiving countries, while Homeland Security asserts all deportations follow due process.

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