Fear and confusion have engulfed the Bhutanese refugee community in the United States as increased deportations under the Trump administration target individuals who are stateless and have criminal records. Many Bhutanese refugees, legally residing in the U.S. through a program initiated by a previous administration, now face deportation without the opportunity to appeal, a predicament exacerbated by the lack of transparency from immigration officials. These deportees are caught in a limbo, being stateless and rejected by Bhutan and Nepal, leading many to hide or disappear after being deported. Families left behind in the U.S. grapple with the loss and uncertainty about their loved ones' whereabouts, triggering trauma reminiscent of past ethnic cleansings. Community leaders and advocates highlight the injustice, arguing that those deported should face legal consequences in the U.S. rather than being sent to countries where they have no citizenship and are at risk of persecution or statelessness again.

The Bhutanese refugee community in the U.S. is facing a crisis as ICE arrests and deportations increase, targeting those with criminal records, despite their legal refugee status obtained through a humanitarian program started in 2007.

Lack of information from the Department of Homeland Security and ICE has left community leaders and families in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where many Bhutanese refugees reside, in a state of fear and uncertainty about the fate of detained and deported individuals.

Deportees, who are stateless, find themselves rejected by Bhutan and Nepal, leading to a dangerous cycle of being transferred between countries, with some ending up in hiding or unaccounted for in India or Nepal.

The deportations have caused significant distress and fear among the Bhutanese community, with even naturalized citizens worrying they might be targeted, prompting many to carry documentation at all times to prove their legal status.

The situation has reopened old wounds for many Bhutanese refugees who fled ethnic cleansing in Bhutan in the early 1990s, as the current deportations echo the repression and displacement they previously experienced.

Advocates argue that the deportees have been denied due process and should instead face legal consequences in the U.S., as sending them to countries where they have no legal status is both unjust and dangerous.

The community in Harrisburg, composed primarily of Nepali-speaking Bhutanese Hindus, had settled there due to its resemblance to Bhutan and the supportive network established over the years, but the recent deportations have shaken the community's sense of safety and belonging.