She fled Iran. America sent her to Africa
Bangui, Central African Republic — “It’s okay now, I’m safe,” she remembered thinking. “I can make one new life here.” She described her joy at reaching “one of the best countries in the world,” but her happiness would prove fleeting. Nika is among a growing number of migrants deported by the Trump administration to countries they’ve … The post She fled Iran. America sent her to Africa appeared…
Bangui, Central African Republic — Nika, an Iranian refugee, expressed her relief upon reaching a new country, believing it to be "one of the best countries in the world". However, her joy was short-lived as she soon realized she had been deported by the US government. Judges have prohibited the US from sending migrants back to their home countries, leading to arrangements with third countries where individuals are not considered safe.
Nika, who fears for her family's safety, is a pseudonym. She had staunchly protested against the Iranian regime throughout her youth, losing friends to the regime and having some in prison. She fears returning to Iran due to the regime's recent crackdown and the threat of death. Her deportation came after being detained at the border and spending months in ICE detention.
Despite receiving a DHS notice to attend a routine meeting in California, she was arrested and subsequently deported to the Central African Republic. Her immigration lawyer, Sahar Jalili Pawelski, had tried to prevent her deportation, expressing her own emotional state upon learning of Nika's fate.
Written by urgent.news from Egypt Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
