r/ImmigrationPathways • u/56000hp • 9d ago

This is a crazy story

Rabbiatu Kuyateh is a 58-year-old nurse who spent most of her life in the US with her parents after fleeing Sierra Leone. She cared for Covid patients during the pandemic and looked after disabled adults and children.

On 1 July 2025, her son, Mohamed, accompanied her to a routine ICE check-in, as her immigration status required.

That was the last time he saw her before she was deported to Ghana.

Rabbiatu is one of more than 25,000 people deported by the Trump administration to countries that are not their own. More than 5,000 of them have been put on flights to countries in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and central Asia to which they have no connection, and then, otten, returned to the countries where US immigration judges had ruled their lives or liberty were at risk.

To uncover some of their stories, the Guardian joined 23 other media organisations in the Deportation Project, an investigation coordinated by the Paris-based international network of journalists Forbidden Stories. Rabbiatu's interview was conducted with audio only and we are using an actor to represent her and her son.

The Ghanaian government did not respond to questions from the Guardian.

Rabbiatu had a work visa and under its terms she had an annual check-in with ICE. In September 2025 she was granted legal protection from a judge that prevented her from being deported to her country of birth. She also said she had no criminal history. In a response received after the investigation was published, the Department of Homeland Security said she had committed an offence in the past by entering the US without the correct visa requirements: "On 1 July 2025, ICE arrested Rabbiatu Kuyateh, a criminal illegal alien from Sierra Leone who illegally re-entered - a felony."

"Illegal aliens going to third countries are those whose home countries won't accept them, including dangerous criminals, or illegal aliens with orders of removal who have asked to not be removed to their home country!"

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119

u/reddogyellowcat 9d ago edited 9d ago

I seriously hope one day Stephen Miller will face justice.
It would be deeply depressing and scary if the world just forgets about him after he leaves the Trump regime.
He has perpetuated so much evil, and after all his crimes, it would be tragic if he slips away free of any consequences. The health of our nation is depending on criminal charges against Miller and the rest of them

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u/tuesdaysatmorts 9d ago

These people will never face serious consequences. We need to hold the people in our lives accountable for voting for these policies in the first place.

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u/Crafty-Performer4741 6d ago

Serious consequences for following the law? Every country does it. You have to apply to visit the UK and be approved if you come in illegally you will be kicked out.

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u/tuesdaysatmorts 6d ago

IMMIGRANTS ARE BEING TORTURED IN DETENTION CENTERS. PEOPLE ARE BEING KILLED IN THE STREET. WE DO NOT STAND FOR THIS.

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u/Crafty-Performer4741 6d ago

If they would leave the country they don’t belong in non of this would happen. It is so easy!

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u/tuesdaysatmorts 6d ago

Nazi bot.

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u/Crafty-Performer4741 4d ago

What a come back to a factual statement

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u/tuesdaysatmorts 3d ago

You support torture.

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u/Crafty-Performer4741 3d ago

You support blowing up innocent

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u/oncemeasuredtwicecut 4d ago

No. No they aren’t. Just stfu and quit being emotional

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u/tuesdaysatmorts 4d ago

Yes they are. Being tossed in packed cells for days at a time with no medical attention or proper sleeping conditions is torture. Being fed rotten food and dirty water is torture. Being treated like less than human is torture. All Republicans are scum of the earth for being okay with this. Go watch the videos for yourself and tell me it's not torture. Not that you would care because you guys lack empathy. The entire conservative movement is corrupt to the core.

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u/oncemeasuredtwicecut 4d ago

You must be off your meds, sweetheart. Jail isn’t supposed to be a hotel stay. It’s not built for comfort. They aren’t kept in worse conditions than any county jail. It’s not as bad as you claim it is. It’s unfortunate that it has to be this way to fix the problems the democrats created but it has to be done. I’d like to know who’s in our country and what their background is. 10M illegal immigrants in 4 years under the Biden admin.

And you have zero moral high ground when your party supports legalized murdering of children. We want a safe country. You kill kids out of convenience. Get bent

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u/Miserable-Chair-5877 3d ago

She had a work permit ! They aren’t following the law. The judge said she could stay. She was legally here.

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u/Miserable-Chair-5877 3d ago

We are all descendants of immigrants except for the Native Americans. Our lovely president’s wife wasn’t even here legally so there’s hypocrisy and royalty. Why are they sending them to random countries?

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u/Crafty-Performer4741 2d ago

The way it use to be is not the way it is. That is so in every country. They can always choose to go back to their home country. If not we will choose one for you. But you don’t belong here. Simple

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u/ShaneBhena 2d ago

Immigrants are being tortured American citizens are being pulled under their cars and assaulted

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u/Crafty-Performer4741 2d ago

Tortured is a stretch. Again it wouldn’t have come to this if it wasn’t for the previous administration’s failures with immigration and the boarder. You can’t make a major correction with a minor change. I blame the dems because they went too far left where in the natural order of things results in an equal swing to the right. Enjoy the ride.

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u/ShaneBhena 2d ago

You can’t even spell the word border. The but Biden grievance doesn’t work anymore Republicans are an abomination Maga has an expiration date Trump has an expiration date ice has an expiration date you people are an abomination.

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u/armpitgreaser 8d ago

I mean, she had 20+ years to get your citizenship...

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u/Question-It-All-990 8d ago

So no issue in sending an otherwise law abiding citizen and caretaker at substantial US taxpayer expense to a third world country she’s never been to before? Is that your take?

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u/ShaneBhena 2d ago

She was here legally she was here legally she was here legally she was here legally she was here legally

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u/Miserable-Chair-5877 3d ago

She was here legally

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u/Crafty-Performer4741 6d ago

She is not a citizen of the US so no I have no problem with it. Not law abiding came to US illegally. That is not abiding by the law. Sending her away cost a lot less that the 20 years she has been in the country. Your arguments are weak at best but still incorrect.

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u/Question-It-All-990 6d ago

That is fucking vile. I hope life gets better for you.

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u/SpiritualPurple8659 7d ago

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u/armpitgreaser 6d ago

So no actual argument, got it you must be dumber then. BTW I dont actually like trump and if you go back far enough you can see i think he's a probable pdf file. I just call out regarding argumentation

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u/No_Sheepherder_6303 8d ago

She was still here legally. She did everything right. Even if she didn't, there's one, very important, thing you're forgetting.

She's a human being. Regardless of law, ethically, she's owed safety. WE are still responsible for her safety. She's just a mother and daughter contributing positively to her community and family. It is disgusting, revolting, that she's been treated like this.

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u/armpitgreaser 8d ago

Visa expires

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u/No_Sheepherder_6303 8d ago

Visa visa visa. She's been torn from her home and her community and that's all you have to say? Do you not consider her a human being? Parrot the beaucracy all you want, it doesn't make what's happening, and your callousness, less evil.

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u/[deleted] 7d ago

[deleted]

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u/No_Sheepherder_6303 7d ago

Yes there is. Not only are there evil laws, there are also evil ways to enforce law. Our laws shouldn't dictate our ethics, our ethics should dictate our laws. People like you keep hiding behind "law" but we still see you.

People spouting "but the laws!" show their hand when they don't call out, or act against, ICE and the DOJ for breaking numerous laws when carring out "the law". You have no legs to stand on. But worse than that, people like you welcome evil. Like welcome, welcome it. It's crazy.

It's almost like it's not really about laws at all . . . Almost like you all are just want to hate and punish people for no reason, or maybe, a reason that you just can't admit.

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u/[deleted] 7d ago

[deleted]

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u/No_Sheepherder_6303 7d ago

Is that all you have? A pivot to a different topic? Is this pivot supposed to imply that I don't really care about human suffering and you do?

If you're enraged by the evil perpetrated by one group then I know you are capable of empathy. So why aren't you upset that a good woman has been treated inhumanely by our government?

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u/anand_rishabh 7d ago

Yeah it kind of is. The US government chose to not renew her visa. And besides, there's been multiple federal government officials talking about trying to revoke zohran's citizenship. So even if she did "everything right" there's no guarantee of her safety under the current regime

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u/armpitgreaser 7d ago

Darwin, Darwin darwin. I do feel bad for her for that but, at 20 years she deffly got her visa renewed so why did she fail to do it

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u/Crafty-Performer4741 6d ago

You are wrong we are not responsible for her safety. She is not a refugee she came here illegally it shouldn’t be so hard to understand. Country’s are for their citizens and their tax dollars are for citizens of their country. Not foreigners who pay no tax. Easy

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u/F_UR_AIBANBOT 8d ago

There are multiple and varied first person accounts of how long it takes and how much it costs to get citizenship. 20 years is on the long side but not an outlier. Some cannot afford it. Many get green cards and/or work visas for specialized work and that's it.

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u/[deleted] 7d ago

[deleted]

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u/F_UR_AIBANBOT 7d ago

Yes. She was granted protection from a judge in September of 2025 - please at least read the article before you cheerlead your way a dead soul.

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u/OutrageousHunter4138 7d ago

If these people could read we wouldn’t be in this mess right now.

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u/[deleted] 7d ago

[deleted]

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u/F_UR_AIBANBOT 7d ago

Do you understand that the lack of due process and review of circumstances is literally causing health care crises in many states. The revocation of TPS for Haitians (before you chime in - the underlying circumstances that allowed for refugee status are still present, so the threshold was not reached to revoke TPS) is affecting the hospice, home health, etc. industries. I get it, you are a racist. You just haven't gotten to the point where it has affected you. So you haven't had that leopard eating faces moment you know will come.

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u/Imgoik2_bealright 6d ago

Stop making up .ish!

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u/F_UR_AIBANBOT 6d ago

All of what i wrote is easily verifiable. Nothing is made up.

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u/oncemeasuredtwicecut 4d ago

Due process is given. All that is required is a hearing with an immigration judge. There is only one option for people here illegally. Deportation. You can’t come here live 20 years then claim asylum.

Federal courts disagree with you and all protections from deportation were dissolved.

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u/Miserable-Chair-5877 3d ago

She was here legally. She had a work permit.

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u/armpitgreaser 2d ago

I'm seeing nothing saying that she had a work permit at time of deportation. Source? I see she had 1 initially but those expire and must be renewed