U.S. ICE sends Honduran and Cuban migrants on forced flight to Central African Republic

After a decade of living undocumented in the United States, Brayan Omar Sánchez and Cuban migrants Yasmani Noel Moreno de Armas and Arístides Fernández García were transferred among several ICE detention sites, including Krome North in Miami and Prairieland in Texas. On July 31 officers informed them they would be deported to Africa, despite their pending asylum claims and lack of signed orders. The group endured a 22-hour journey, with only water and bread provided, and were forced to board the plane through the rear while handcuffed and shackled.

They touched down in Bangui, Central African Republic, on the night of August 1, where authorities injected them without clarification and placed them in a modest apartment called Maison Confort, restricting movement and offering minimal clothing. The migrants describe severe culture shock, health issues from unfamiliar food, and uncertainty about their legal status, while the U.S. government has not disclosed the criteria for selecting CAR as a destination despite a multi-million-dollar deportation agreement.