Ana María, a 23-year-old woman from South America, says she agreed to be deported back to her native country after enduring what she describes as a 'horrendous' experience in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention. Speaking exclusively to the Guardian, she detailed being shackled, transferred multiple times, and treated 'worse than criminals' despite having no criminal record.
Ana María had been living happily in the US with an open asylum case and working. However, fearing anti-immigration crackdowns under President Donald Trump, she and her boyfriend decided to seek asylum in Canada. In January, they turned themselves in at the US-Canada border, but Canadian authorities accused her boyfriend of being a gangster due to his tattoos. He was arrested, and Ana María was sent back to the US, where ICE detained her.
Over three months, she was moved to at least six detention centres across the US, including in Louisiana, Arizona, and Texas. During each transfer, she was handcuffed and shackled, causing pain and leaving marks. 'They put you in chains – and they tighten them – to the point where they leave marks on your arms and legs,' she said. She also described poor conditions, including 24-hour lighting, stale food, and constant yelling by guards.
In desperation, Ana María requested to be deported, despite facing potential danger in her home country. 'They treated us worse than criminals, like dogs – well, a dog lives better than that in the US,' she said. The Guardian is protecting her identity due to fears of retaliation.
