After fleeing Iran, the migrant ended up in Africa, where the American government sent her. She recalls feeling relieved, thinking: 'Now everything is fine, I am safe. I can start a new life here.'
She expressed joy at arriving in 'one of the best countries in the world,' but this happiness was short-lived. Nika is part of a growing group of migrants whom the Trump administration deported to countries they had never been to and which are hardly considered safe havens. This situation arose due to a loophole, as judges hindered the US government from sending some migrants back to their home countries, leading to dozens of agreements with third countries where people like Nika increasingly face difficulties.
Nika, whose real name is withheld for security reasons, recounted that she spent most of her youth protesting against the Iranian regime. She recalled with tears: 'I lost too many friends. They were killed by [the Islamic Republic]. And some of them are still in prison. I know that if I were in Iran, they would have killed me.'
Her story unfolds during a complex period in US-Iran relations. Earlier this year, Iran experienced mass anti-government protests, to which the regime responded with unprecedented repression, killing thousands of people. President Donald Trump called on protesters to 'take over their institutions' and stated that 'help is on the way.'
At the end of February, the US and Israel began a war against Iran, which led to the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and attacks on targets across the country. Nika closely followed these events from the United States, hoping it might signal the end of the Iranian regime and the possibility of returning home. However, her fate was already sealed.
After being detained at the border and spending several months in ICE custody, Nika was briefly allowed to live freely in California. She received a notification from the Department of Homeland Security about an upcoming meeting, which she considered routine, in June. But according to documents reviewed by CNN, US authorities decided to deport her weeks before that. When she appeared for the meeting, she was arrested.
Three days later, on the evening of June 11, she recounted being tied up, shackled, and put on a deportation flight with 17 other migrants, including people from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Georgia. Nika described that day as one of the hardest of her life, noting how her whole body trembled with fear. She only learned her destination upon boarding the flight, when the destination was displayed on a small screen in front of her.
Nika's current lawyer, Sahar Jalili Powellsky, reported that she desperately tried to prevent her removal. Powellsky shared her memories: 'I remember the plane taking off; I was just sitting on the floor, calling my mom and crying. I live these moments. You know what this person felt. What loneliness she must have experienced.'
Like many other migrants who were deported, Nika had a protective order issued by an American judge. Such orders are intended to prevent migrants from returning to places where they might face persecution, torture, or death. Until recently, the deportation of people with such orders was extremely rare.
However, after Trump returned to power last year, promising mass deportations, the situation changed. Trump's main proponent of anti-immigration policy, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, stated that 'America's doors are completely closed to asylum seekers.'
The Department of Homeland Security defended its actions, telling CNN that the deported individuals underwent proper legal procedures and had final removal orders. In a statement, they emphasized: 'These agreements with third countries, which ensure due legal process in accordance with the US Constitution, are necessary for the safety of our homeland and the American people. We apply the law as it is written. If a judge determines that an illegal immigrant has no right to be in this country, we remove them. Period.'
Since arriving in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, more than two months ago, Nika says she usually fears leaving her residential complex and spends most of her time in her room. When she goes out to buy groceries or necessities, she claims local police often stop her, demanding bribes and threatening arrest if she doesn't pay—which the police deny. She also received treatment at a local hospital after contracting malaria. Nika expressed her shock: 'I couldn't believe I was here. Truly, it is incredible for me.'
The U.S. State Department itself warned against any travel to this country due to risks of crime, kidnapping, disease, and terrorism. It strongly recommends that anyone who does decide to travel leave a DNA sample so they can be identified by family in case of death.
The reasons why the Central African Republic agreed to accept migrants from the US remain a mystery, as the details of the deal have not been disclosed. However, there are some hints. This year, the US provided the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) with a surprisingly large sum of $85 million for operations in the Central African Republic, significantly more than the few million in previous years, and allocated an additional $50 million to the country's aid fund. This comes amid a reduction in foreign aid from the US. The State Department hinted that this funding was a direct payment for accepting the deportees. A DHS representative told CNN that 'the United States will use foreign aid to support countries that help us achieve our immigration priorities.'
The IOM, which does not handle deportations, did not respond to specific questions from CNN but stated in its release its long-standing presence in the country. IOM noted: 'As in other contexts, IOM receives funding from a number of donors in the Central African Republic.'
No one from the CAR government publicly commented on the deportation agreement and declined CNN's requests for interviews. It is unclear what Nika's future holds. She and other migrants were informed that they were granted only temporary stay of three months. A second deportation flight from the US departed on July 31 and carried 31 deportees, and among the migrants is a fear that as housing runs out, they will be forcibly repatriated to their countries of origin. If this happens, Nika does not see a chance of survival.
Meanwhile, her lawyer is filing a federal lawsuit in an attempt to bring her back to the US and resume her asylum application. While Nika awaits her fate, she tries to understand how the country that seemed to be going to protect her became the one that sent her away.
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