Last year, Yasmany Moreno de Armas, a Cuban immigrant, was residing and working in Florida. However, he now finds himself in the Central African Republic after the Trump administration deported him and numerous others to this impoverished and conflict-ridden nation. The 31-year-old shared that he discovered the U.S. government had ordered his deportation to Africa only upon his arrival there in late July, alongside others from various countries including Ecuador, Honduras, Serbia, Russia, and Vietnam. “We cannot leave; we lack the necessary documents and are suffering, longing for our families in a region we are unfamiliar with,” Moreno de Armas expressed during a video call with CBS News from a building in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, where the deportees are currently living. When asked if he had any prior knowledge of the Central African Republic before his deportation, he replied, “never.” The Central African Republic ranks among the poorest nations globally, plagued by armed conflict, political turmoil, and the presence of Russian mercenaries, contributing to its reputation as a dangerous location. The U.S. State Department has issued a Level 4 travel advisory, urging Americans to avoid the country due to the widespread insecurity. This landlocked nation is one of over 30 countries that the U.S. has persuaded to accept deportees as part of President Trump’s extensive efforts to combat illegal immigration. This list is increasingly including African nations, many of which are grappling with armed conflicts, oppressive governments, and human rights violations. Zena Gebrgzabher, a 39-year-old originally from Eritrea, is also stranded in the Central African Republic following his deportation from the United States. Gebrgzabher expressed his deep longing for his family during a video call with CBS News, stating, “I miss my family.” He mentioned that his son frequently asks his wife, “Where is my daddy?” His wife and their five-year-old son, both American citizens, reside in Maryland, where Gebrgzabher previously worked as a truck driver. Similar to Moreno de Armas, he reported that he received no advance notice regarding his deportation to the Central African Republic and was not afforded the opportunity to contest it. Yrgalem Gehrehiwet, Gebrgzabher’s wife, described her husband’s deportation as unjust and inhumane. She noted the significant emotional impact on their son, Nathan, due to his father’s absence, although she has chosen not to inform him about Gebrgzabher’s situation. “He feels it more than we do because he loves his dad,” she told CBS News. There was no criminal record found for either Moreno de Armas or Gebrgzabher, aside from traffic and immigration infractions, such as their unlawful entry into the U.S. However, both men’s experiences align with those targeted by the Trump administration for deportation to distant “third countries.” Typically, the Trump administration aimed to utilize third-country deportation agreements to remove immigrants whose home nations, like Cuba, either reject or limit deportations from the U.S. or who have received legal protections that prevent their return due to safety concerns. The Department of Homeland Security has not yet responded to inquiries regarding the deportees sent to the Central African Republic or the specifics of its agreement with that country, including what the U.S. receives in return for sending deportees there. Moreno de Armas has expressed fears for his safety if he were to return to Cuba, where he was previously imprisoned following an attempt to escape the communist regime. Cuban government records indicate he was incarcerated for “illegal exit from the national territory.” His second escape attempt was successful. According to U.S. government records, he reached Florida by boat in September 2016 and was admitted under the “parole” authority benefiting Cuban arrivals under the now-repealed “Wet Foot, Dry Foot” policy. He applied for a green card under the Cuban Adjustment Act from the Cold War period but was denied because he submitted his application after his parole had expired. After lacking legal status, Moreno de Armas was apprehended by immigration officials in May 2025 and spent nearly a year in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement before his deportation to Africa this summer. Gebrgzabher had previously won a legal battle in immigration court in 2017 when a judge ruled he was eligible for protection under the Convention Against Torture, thereby blocking his deportation to Eritrea. Despite this victory, court documents reveal that he was not granted asylum, a more permanent status, due to his previous role as a checkpoint guard in the Eritrean military. Although judges acknowledged he had been forcibly conscripted at 18, they deemed him ineligible for asylum based on a rule that disqualifies those who may have contributed to the persecution of others. While he maintained that he did not harm or detain anyone at the checkpoint, the judges asserted that he impeded the escape of political prisoners. The documents also reveal that Gebrgzabher was imprisoned by the Eritrean military for overstaying his leave before he fled the country. He later sought asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. After being granted protection under the Convention Against Torture, Gebrgzabher established a family and consistently checked in with ICE without issues until he was detained during a routine appointment last year. While his protection prevented his deportation to Eritrea, it did not legally restrict authorities from sending him to a third country like the Central African Republic. Both men described their current situation as akin to being stateless, trapped in a foreign country where they do not speak the language and have no connections or relatives.