Deported Transgender Woman Fears for Safety in Central African Republic

Daniela Fuentes, a transgender woman who lived openly in Miami, now finds herself hiding in the Central African Republic after being deported from the United States. Fuentes, 32, who previously styled hair and performed in drag in Miami, now wears men's clothing, lowers her voice, and avoids drawing attention to herself in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic.

Fuentes was deported on August 29 as part of a U.S. policy to send individuals to countries other than their own. She has no ties to the Central African Republic, a nation where advocacy groups have reported arbitrary detention, torture, and other rights violations, particularly affecting sexual and gender minorities. The U.S. State Department advises Americans to avoid travel to the country due to its history of conflict and instability.

"Everything is difficult here because I have to hide who I am," Fuentes told The Associated Press. "I don’t know this place, the people or the language, and I have no idea what will happen to me."

The Central African Republic is one of at least 12 African nations that have signed agreements to accept "third-country" deportations, a policy the U.S. Supreme Court recently allowed to continue. In this country, transgender individuals have minimal legal protections and face societal marginalization. Fuentes described disguising herself for protection, both in U.S. detention and now in a country she had never heard of until she was on the deportation flight.

Fuentes, originally from Cuba, began living as a woman in adolescence and started hormone treatment at 18. She faced harassment and at least two attacks in Cuba due to her gender identity before selling her home amid economic hardship and a crackdown on dissent. She traveled to the U.S. through Mexico, entering via the CBP One appointment system and eventually settling in Miami, where she began living openly as herself.

Her situation changed when she was encountered by officers outside a motel and it was discovered she had missed an immigration court hearing in Texas. She was taken into custody and placed in immigration detention with men. Fuentes stated that officials confiscated her wig and gave her a male detainee's uniform, a move consistent with a January executive order directing officials to exclude transgender women from women's facilities.

Fuentes was held in detention facilities in Florida before being transferred to Texas. She learned she was being deported to Africa only about five hours into the flight. Other deportees on the same flight reported not being informed of their destination until they were airborne. Dozens have been sent to the Central African Republic, including individuals facing persecution in their home countries.

Fuentes expressed confusion as to why she was sent to Africa instead of Cuba, which has agreed to accept her return. She stated she does not have a lawyer. The U.S. has been resuming deportation flights to Cuba since 2023.

According to Yasmany Moreno, another Cuban deportee in Bangui, the group arrived without visas or legal documentation. While officials initially mentioned 90 days of assistance, the deportees are uncertain about their future living arrangements and legal status beyond that period. Several deportees reported that U.S. authorities had confiscated their identity documents.

A spokesperson for the Central African Republic's Foreign Ministry stated that the deportees are being monitored by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and are in "good hands." The U.S. has committed $85 million to IOM for operations in the Central African Republic, including assistance to migrants.

IOM offers options for migrants, including seeking asylum, returning home, or traveling to an authorized location. However, the organization referred questions about the specific status of deportees like Fuentes to Central African Republic officials, who did not respond to requests for comment.

Human Rights Watch has reported that individuals deported to third countries can face detention, abuse, and persecution. Reports indicate some African governments have been complicit in U.S. deportation practices while also violating the human rights of the deported individuals themselves.

Fuentes and other deportees have described restrictions on their movement and an inability to work due to the lack of identification. Fuentes spends most of her days at the compound, hoping for travel documents that would allow her to leave and potentially seek asylum in another country, such as Canada. She stated that the harassment and economic hardship that led her to flee her home country still persist.