A United States deportation flight bound for the Central African Republic (CAR) on Friday was reportedly carrying nationals from Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey and Georgia, according to immigration lawyers and flight tracking data.
The flight, which departed Alexandria, Louisiana on Thursday evening, was tracked by ICE Flight Monitor linked to Human Rights First. It reportedly made a stopover in Ghana on Friday, though it remains unclear whether any passengers disembarked during the layover.
The deportation is part of a growing trend of so-called âthird-countryâ removals under US immigration enforcement policies, where migrants are deported to countries other than their countries of origin.
Legal representatives said many of those on board had been granted âwithholding of removal,â a legal protection that prevents deportation to their home countries, but which offers fewer safeguards than full asylum status.
Attorney Emily Trostle warned that some deportees could still face onward removal to their home countries, a situation she said has occurred in previous third-country deportation cases involving African destinations.
Lawyers also identified several Iranian nationals among the passengers, including at least two women, despite ongoing geopolitical tensions between Washington and Tehran.
The US State Department currently advises against all travel to the Central African Republic, citing insecurity, armed conflict and widespread violence.
Another immigration lawyer, Alma David, said those on the flight were âmainly withholding grantees from a variety of countries, including Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Georgia.â
As of press time, neither US nor Ghanaian authorities had issued an official statement confirming the flightâs final destination or clarifying the status of the passengers.
