US deports gay asylum-seeker to country where homosexuality is illegal

Farah, a 21-year-old gay woman, fled Morocco due to family violence but was deported to Cameroon after seeking asylum in the US

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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Farah, a 21-year-old gay woman, fled Morocco where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by up to 3 years in prison. After a long journey to the US and seeking asylum, she was detained for almost a year before being denied asylum and deported to Cameroon, another country where homosexuality is illegal, despite having a protection order from a US immigration judge.

Why it matters

This case highlights the US government's use of third-country deportations to pressure migrants, even those with legal protection, to leave the country. It raises concerns about the violation of due process rights and the US' obligations under international treaties to protect vulnerable asylum-seekers.

The details

Farah said she was beaten by her family and her partner's family when they found out about their relationship. She fled Morocco and traveled through 6 countries to reach the US border, where she requested asylum. After almost a year in detention, she was denied asylum but received a protection order from a US immigration judge, ruling she could not be deported to Morocco. However, she was then deported to Cameroon, a country she had never visited and where homosexuality is also illegal.

  • Farah arrived at the US border in early 2025.
  • Farah was detained for almost a year, first in Arizona then in Louisiana.
  • In August, Farah received a protection order from a US immigration judge.
  • Three days before a hearing on her release, Farah was deported to Cameroon in January.

The players

Farah

A 21-year-old gay woman who fled Morocco due to family violence against her and her partner.

Alma David

An immigration lawyer with the US-based Novo Legal Group who has helped deportees and verified Farah's case.

Joseph Awah Fru

A lawyer who represents the deportees held in a detention facility in Cameroon's capital of Yaounde.

US Department of Homeland Security

Confirmed there were deportations to Cameroon in January, stating they are "applying the law as written" and that third-country agreements "ensure due process under the US Constitution."

International Organization for Migration

A UN-affiliated organization that said it is "aware of the removal of migrants from the United States of America to some African countries" and that it "works with people facing difficult decisions about whether to return to their country of origin."

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What they’re saying

“It is hard to live and work with the fear of being tracked once again by my family. But there is nothing I can do. I have to work.”

— Farah (AP News)

“By deporting them to Cameroon, and giving them no opportunity to contest being sent to a country whose government hoped to quietly send them back to the very countries where they face grave danger, the U.S. not only violated their due process rights but our own immigration laws, our obligations under international treaties and even DHS' own procedures.”

— Alma David, Immigration lawyer, Novo Legal Group (AP News)

“They were given two impossible choices. This was before the lawyer had access to them. They'd been alone there in that facility without any help from anybody or any indication that there was gonna be an option other than going back to their home countries.”

— Alma David, Immigration lawyer, Novo Legal Group (AP News)

What’s next

Lawyer Joseph Awah Fru plans to apply on Monday to be granted access to speak with the deportees being held in the detention facility in Cameroon's capital.

The takeaway

This case highlights the US government's use of third-country deportations to pressure migrants, even those with legal protection, to leave the country, raising serious concerns about the violation of due process rights and the US' obligations to protect vulnerable asylum-seekers under international law.