Artemis Act Targets Third-Country Deportations That May Bypass U.S. Refugee Obligations

The Artemis Act, introduced by Representative Ansari in May 2025, addresses whether removing asylum seekers to third countries like Panama before credible-fear determinations effectively outsources U.S. non-refoulement duties under the 1967 Refugee Protocol to states with different asylum capacity. The bill remains unpassed. Its namesake, Artemis Ghasemzadeh, was deported to Panama despite telling authorities she feared religious persecution as an Iranian Christian convert.