Latinos Report Surprise Deportations to Africa Without Due Process

A group of Latino immigrants reported being deported from the United States to the Central African Republic without prior notice. The affected individuals, originally from Honduras, Cuba and Ecuador, claim that immigration authorities forcibly expelled them in violation of their rights.

The case came to light thanks to Honduran Brayan Sánchez. From Bangui, the capital of the African country, Sánchez managed to circulate videos recounting how the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) transferred him against his will.

For the migrant community, this episode represents an alarming escalation in the policy of expulsions to third countries. Human rights organizations have begun questioning the legality and transparency of these international procedures executed by the U.S. government.

How Was the Transfer to Bangui Carried Out?

Brayan Sánchez lived in Florida and worked as a truck driver. He recounted that he was detained on May 13, 2026 while heading to work. After his arrest, he was moved through detention centers in Colorado, Arizona, California and Texas. In the latter state he met his Latino companions. According to his testimony, it was on July 30 when agents ordered them to board a plane without mentioning where they were going.

VIDEO| The Honduran Brayan Sánchez, who resided in Miami, United States, recounts the ordeal he is experiencing after being deported to Africa: «A tragedy happened to me, they brought me kidnapped along with other migrants to Africa; it is an injustice that they brought us here. Now… pic.twitter.com/yzRgdcFAOX

— Radio América HN (@radioamericahn) August 2, 2026

«ICE only told me: everything of yours is closed now, but by force, it was nothing voluntary,» Sánchez stated in a video interview cited by EFE. He assured that they never mentioned Africa as a destination and that had he known, he would have preferred to be sent to Mexico or El Salvador. The trip lasted nearly 21 hours, making stops in Senegal and Nigeria before arriving in the Central African Republic. Sánchez even reported that agents threatened to beat them if they refused to board the flight.

Once in Bangui, the 6 Latinos were held in a hotel. There they face language barriers, lack of medical resources, drinking water shortages and mobility restrictions imposed by local authorities while processing temporary visas.

Why Does the United States Deport to Africa?

This mass deportation is not an accident. It is part of a migration strategy by the Donald Trump administration to sign transfer agreements to third countries. After receiving Supreme Court approval in June 2025 to expand this type of expulsion, the U.S. government intensified its international agreements. Washington maintains reception pacts with countries such as Rwanda, South Sudan, Eswatini, Uganda, Ghana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic itself.

However, the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) has repeatedly denounced the failures of these transfers. They accuse ICE of «deporting people to unsafe conditions without due process and with less than 24 hours notice.»

Sánchez maintains that this was exactly his case. He asserted that his asylum process was still open and he had a court order that temporarily prevented his removal from the country. Furthermore, the Honduran claimed to fear for his life if he returned to his country, following the prior murder of family members. «I spoke with lawyers, they tell me: ‘no, they have to return you because they have violated all your rights’,» the migrant recounted.