Immigrants, including Armenians, are being deported to Uganda – Tehmina Avagyan

Immigration lawyer Tehmina Avagyan spoke to Alpha News about the new US immigration policy. She reported that immigration detentions continue in San Diego and San Francisco, but that government policy has changed.

“Previously, arrests primarily targeted individuals who had committed crimes. Over the past month, however, the targets have been people who once entered the US with a visa but overstayed its validity period,” the lawyer said.

She also noted that, under established procedures, such individuals submit documents to legalize their status—for example, through marriage or a family member’s petition—and attend a green card interview. According to Avagyan, such cases used to proceed smoothly, with people receiving green cards without any problems, but recently, this process often ends in arrest.

“Raids continue in the state of California,” she added.

Regarding deportation issues, the lawyer revealed important changes: “The United States has agreements with third countries deemed safe, allowing the deportation of individuals who are either subject to removal by court order or unwilling to return to their country of origin. In many cases, the US government submits requests for deportation to Uganda. The US government considers Uganda a safe country.”

According to the lawyer, Armenians are also being sent to Uganda.