U.S. sends former Nicaraguan political detainee back to prison in Managua

Jeffrey Jarquín, a 35-year-old former political prisoner, was arrested and placed in Managua’s Modelo prison immediately after his deportation from the United States. Jarquín, who participated in the 2018 protests demanding Daniel Ortega’s resignation, previously spent nine months in the same facility and says guards burned his genitals with cigarette butts. He fled to the U.S., applied for asylum, and was denied, leading to his removal despite human-rights groups warning that returning him could expose him to torture.

Data from Human Rights Watch shows U.S. deportations to Nicaragua more than doubled in the first seven months of 2026 versus the prior year. The Trump administration, which has imposed sanctions on Ortega and his family, is increasingly targeting Nicaraguan dissidents for removal, raising concerns about violations of the international prohibition on refoulement. Advocates, including Muriel Sáenz and Juan Pappier, urge the U.S. to halt such deportations to protect vulnerable activists.