A central Ohio asylum seeker could be deported to Uganda despite having no ties to the country, raising questions about a U.S. deportation agreement. COLUMBUS, Ohio — At an assisted living facility in Franklin County 10 Investigates met with a home health aide on the job. She was rinsing dishes — a routine chore. And as the soapy water drained away, she told 10 Investigates she couldn't help but think about her own murky future in this country, since she is currently facing deportation. "All I do is work, take care of myself, my child. So I don't understand why it has to happen like this," she said. 10 Investigates is not naming her or showing her face because she's afraid of retaliation. But she told us she is from Ghana and has been in the U.S. for five years. And up until mid-February, she had been in the process of seeking asylum. The woman also showed us paperwork from her most recent immigration hearing. It outlines a push from the Department of Homeland Security to cut her case short and deport her to Uganda. "Then I said, 'No, I am not going to Uganda to do anything. I'm African. I cannot just go to another African country when I cannot understand the language or anything. No, no, no,'" the woman said. In July of 2025, the U.S. entered an agreement with Uganda to take deportees who can't safely return to their home countries. The U.S. Department of State has previously documented several human rights concerns in Uganda. It has also issued a warning to U.S. travelers about the country. To better understand why this is happening, 10 Investigates also spoke to Columbus immigration lawyer Gus Shihab. He said that he has a client in a similar situation. "So here we have the United States government speaking on both sides of its mouth. On one side of its mouth, it's telling people Uganda is a dangerous place and especially the treatment of people of [a certain] sexual orientation. And at the same time, they're saying, 'Hey, we have an agreement with Uganda. Don't worry, we'll send you to this safe haven,'" he said. He's now working to file an appeal in his client's case. And as he does, the woman 10 Investigates spoke with made her own appeal to President Donald Trump. "So, if the president could do something about it. We the immigrants who are not criminals. He should give us a chance," she said. That woman told 10 Investigates that she can no longer afford an attorney to fight this case. She now has less than 30 days to file an appeal. In the meantime, 10 Investigates emailed DHS about this issue and are still waiting to hear back.