Chinese Christian woman expelled to Panama after 11 days in U.S. detention with no interpreter and no chance to speak
Feb 13, 2025·Location: San Diego, CA
Country of origin: China
Mei, a Chinese woman who was too afraid to provide her age or other identifying information, was arrested on February 2 and expelled on February 13. The only Chinese translator she encountered during 11 days of detention was present briefly when her fingerprints were taken, but she was not given a chance to speak. No one told her she could have a lawyer. She told Human Rights Watch, 'I didn't come to the US to make money but to find freedom. I am a Christian and I yearn for freedom. I may not be a legal immigrant, but the US has a legal system, but I did not see it. Nobody told me anything. They didn't allow me to say anything.' She received no documents when she was deported and was not told where she was going.
Sources
- “Nobody Cared, Nobody Listened”
hrw.org·Apr 24, 2025·archived copy
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