A 32-year-old Iranian woman, Nika, was shackled and flown 7,000 miles from the U.S. to the Central African Republic (CAR), a country she had never heard of, after being rearrested by the Department of Homeland Security. She had been granted legal protections by a judge but was deported within two weeks. The U.S. Department of State warns American citizens not to travel to CAR due to safety concerns.

Third-Country Deportation Scale and Scope

Since returning to office in 2025, the Trump administration has deported more than 25,000 individuals to countries that are not their own, according to the Deportation Project, a collaborative investigation by 23 media organizations. These deportations are conducted under so-called third-country national arrangements, part of what human rights lawyers call a “show of force” to deter immigration and asylum seekers.

Among the countries involved in these shadowy deals are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Equatorial Guinea, and CAR. For example, four Cubans, a Brazilian, and a Cameroonian refused to disembark in Liberia on 20 August and were instead sent to Equatorial Guinea.

Legal and Human Rights Concerns

A U.S. federal appeals court ruled on Friday that the third-country removals policy is unlawful, with a three-judge panel unanimously agreeing it violates due process. However, the government has 90 days to appeal the decision and is expected to do so. The policy has drawn criticism from human rights groups and legal experts who argue it disregards the rights of individuals seeking asylum.

Detainees on these deportation flights have described being shackled and restrained in black and yellow body wraps. Nika, who had fled Iran after participating in anti-regime protests, described the handcuffs as painful and the officers as uncooperative when she asked about her destination. Other passengers, including men, were treated more harshly.

International and Domestic Reactions

The Trump administration has struck 35 deals allowing it to deport migrants and asylum seekers to countries where they often have no connections, according to the investigation. The policy has been criticized for its lack of transparency and potential for violating international and U.S. law. Legal protections granted by a judge were quickly overturned in Nika’s case, raising concerns about due process and the speed of deportation decisions.