A 20-year-old Ethiopian asylum seeker who says her best friend was killed, her brother detained, and another sibling repeatedly beaten is now pleading with the public to help stop what she fears could become a death sentence: deportation back to Ethiopia.
In a deeply emotional video shared by immigration attorney and advocate Rebecca A on Instagram, the young woman, identified only as Bisrat, described living in constant fear inside a U.S. immigration detention center where she says she has spent the last 19 months fighting for her freedom and her life.
“Every night inside detention feels unbearable,” Bisrat said in the video, her face blurred for protection. “I have to take sleeping pills just to rest because the screaming and crying inside the facility never stops.”
According to attorney Rebecca A, Bisrat is one of 16 Ethiopians and Eritreans currently being held in detention, and may be the first deported if urgent legal intervention does not happen in time.
The attorney’s viral post described a young woman whose family had already been shattered by violence tied to ethnic persecution in Ethiopia.
“My older brother has been detained for six months,” Bisrat said. “My younger brother is constantly harassed and beaten and he has been hospitalized multiple times because of the violence. They also killed my best friend, someone who was persecuted alongside me.”
Bisrat said she fled Ethiopia seeking safety in the United States, but instead found herself trapped inside an immigration system she says has pushed her to the brink emotionally and mentally.
“Sometimes it feels like the walls are closing in on me,” she said.
She also alleged unsafe conditions inside the detention facility, claiming the drinking water often makes detainees sick, while many cannot afford bottled water from commissary.
“If I’m deported back to Ethiopia, I fear I’ll be imprisoned, tortured or killed simply because of who I am,” she said.
The case is drawing renewed attention to America’s immigration detention system and the treatment of asylum seekers fleeing war, ethnic violence, and political instability across East Africa.
Human rights advocates have long criticized prolonged immigration detention, particularly for vulnerable asylum seekers who arrive seeking protection under U.S. and international law. Ethiopia has faced years of deadly political unrest, ethnic conflict, and human rights concerns that have displaced millions.
Rebecca A urged supporters to donate toward Bisrat’s legal defense and spread awareness online before deportation proceedings move forward.
“Time is running out,” the attorney wrote. “If you believe no one should be sent back to persecution, violence, or death, now is the time to act.”
In the final moments of her testimony, Bisrat turned to scripture, quoting Matthew 25 about caring for strangers, prisoners, and the vulnerable.
“Every single day, I pray for freedom,” she said. “Every single day, I pray for another chance to live safely.”
