US Third-Country Deportation Policy Sends Cuban Transgender Woman to Central African Republic

A 32-year-old Cuban transgender woman who previously lived openly in Miami is now forced into hiding after United States immigration authorities deported her to the Central African Republic. Daniela Fuentes was flown on August 29 to the conflict-affected nation, where she shares a room with four Cuban deportees and wears men's clothing to survive. Fuentes has no ties to the African nation, does not speak the language, and lacks legal identification documents, making her deeply vulnerable in a society where sexual and gender minorities face arbitrary detention, torture, and widespread abuse.

The deportation reflects an escalating U.S. policy sending migrants to third-party countries rather than their home nations. Third Country Deportation Watch, run by Refugees International and Human Rights First, estimates the U.S. has deported approximately 25,000 individuals to more than two dozen non-native countries. According to Human Rights Watch, over 500 people were transferred to African nations between January 2025 and August 2026, including at least 12 LGBTQ+ individuals sent to states criminalizing same-sex conduct. "These are not bureaucratic errors or isolated incidents," stated Bridget Crawford of Immigration Equality. "They are the predictable result of policies that purposefully abandon our legal and moral obligation to protect LGBTQ+ immigrants."

Fuentes originally fled Havana in 2023 following physical attacks, harassment, and an intensifying economic crisis. She traversed Central America disguised as a man before entering Texas via the CBP One system. Moving to Miami, she styled hair and performed in drag at local venues. Her deportation followed an arrest outside a motel over a missed Texas immigration court hearing. While in custody, Fuentes was stripped of her wig and housed with male detainees in compliance with a January 2025 executive order barring transgender women from female detention centers.

While Washington maintains that recipient nations provide assurances that deportees will not face torture, advocacy groups assert that third-country removals gravely violate human rights protections. In Bangui, Fuentes survives on food aid provided by the International Organization for Migration and crowdsourced donations. Bound to a state-run compound alongside male deportees, she currently waits on emergency travel documentation in hopes of securing passage out of the country.