Men describe being deported by U.S. to dangerous African nation: "We cannot leave"

Key Points:

• Cuban immigrant Yasmany Moreno de Armas and Eritrean native Zena Gebrgzabher were deported from the U.S. to the Central African Republic, a poor and dangerous nation, without prior notice or opportunity to challenge their deportations.
• Both men lack criminal records beyond immigration violations and were targeted under the Trump administration’s policy of deporting immigrants to third countries when their home countries reject or limit deportations.
• Moreno de Armas fears persecution if returned to Cuba due to previous imprisonment for attempting to flee, while Gebrgzabher was protected from deportation to Eritrea under the Convention Against Torture but was still sent to the Central African Republic.
• The Central African Republic is under a Level 4 travel advisory by the U.S. State Department due to armed conflict and instability, making the deportees' situation precarious as they have no documents or support in the country.
• Both men describe feeling stateless and abandoned in a foreign land with no family or cultural ties, highlighting concerns over the fairness and humanity of third-country deportation policies.