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Laura, a 41-year-old Nigerian mother, arrived in the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2020 to escape domestic violence and prevent her daughter from undergoing female genital mutilation. After her visa expired, she applied for asylum. Though initially told by a judge she would be released, with the Trump administration’s stricter policies, Laura remained detained for over a year.
While in New Jersey, Laura worked as a home care worker, supporting her two children with school and maintaining their cultural ties through food. However, her life took a turn when she was jailed following an altercation and subsequently picked up by ICE. Confined under harsh conditions at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center, she experienced severe mental distress and inadequate medical care.
Despite winning withholding of removal—a protection against deportation—Laura faced prolonged detainment as ICE sought third-country deportation options. The agency’s practices reflected broader changes in immigration policy under Trump, including the ability to deport individuals to countries with no ties, significantly complicating release after an asylum ruling.
Nationally, many individuals like Laura remain detained despite favorable court decisions, as ICE applies a blanket policy of refusal to release such detainees. This strategy often aims to exhaust asylum seekers into accepting deportation. The legal landscape continues to evolve, complicating the lives of vulnerable individuals fighting for safety and stability in the U.S. Laura’s situation epitomizes the distress faced by many under a system increasingly indifferent to human rights.
Read this related Trek here:
They’ve Won In Court, But ICE Is Still Detaining and Trying to Deport Them
