Washington, D.C. – The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) has learned that the Trump administration is preparing to deport nearly two dozen people to the Central African Republic today, including at least two Iranian women who had sought refuge in the United States and had been granted protection from deportation to Iran with asylum claims.
NIAC is urgently calling for this deportation flight to be halted. Not only should people with recognized asylum claims never face deportation, but the State Department’s own Travel Advisory for the Central African Republic also says, “Do not travel for any reason,” due to the severe risk of danger.
“On the same day that Trump is threatening to take Kharg Island in Iran and ‘hit Iran very hard’ with a new wave of illegal military strikes, his administration is also deporting supposedly protected Iranian asylees and others to third countries with dangerous conditions,” said Jamal Abdi, President of NIAC. “These reckless actions unfortunately reflect a total disregard for the law, due process of these detainees, and the wellbeing of Iranians as a whole. We call on the administration to halt this flight, and the deportation of all individuals with credible and recognized asylum claims under the law and in accordance with due process.”
NIAC has condemned deportations of Iranians to Iran and third countries following prior removals in September and December that raised grave concerns about ICE detention practices and due process for individuals at heightened risk. NIAC’s FOIA lawsuit against ICE further revealed the Trump administration has been stepping up indiscriminate arrests of Iranian nationals, including many with credible asylum claims like the women on this flight.
NIAC reiterates its calls for an immediate suspension of all U.S. deportations to Iran and an end to third country deportations that endanger the lives of vulnerable people who were denied due process. Amid a renewed war on Iran that has already displaced 3.2 million people inside Iran, we call on the Trump administration to immediately restore processing of refugee, asylum, and visa applications for Iranians, which were halted by the administration as part of its travel ban and other policies. Notably, a recent ruling in Dorcas v. USCIS ordered the Trump administration to resume processing of asylum applications for Iranians and 38 other nationalities.
Iranians seeking help with detention, deportation or other immigration issues can find resources at www.niacouncil.org/travelban or reach our staff for support at [email protected].