Colorado transgender woman’s persecution-based refugee status in Canada revoked

A transgender woman from Colorado’s refugee status in Canada has been revoked after she sought a safe haven from America’s gun culture and rising transphobia.

Daria Bloodworth, 36, was granted refugee status in October 2022, three years after she fled to Canada after experiencing violence and stalking due to her gender identity, the CBC reported.

In a decision made this week, a judge said the Refugee Appeal Division was mistaken to deem Colorado authorities incapable of protecting Bloodworth from a roommate she accused of stalking her — and that her safety couldn’t be guaranteed elsewhere.

“It was made pretty clear from the get-go that this was going to be an uphill battle — winning this thing, or even staying in Canada a little bit longer and not get murdered in the U.S.,” Bloodworth told the CBC.

“I was incredibly happy that I won at the [Refugee Appeal Division] level. And it also increased my confidence in winning this case permanently, because I know, based on the evidence that I’ve submitted that I have a strong case.”

Bloodworth says she plans to appeal the ruling to the Federal Court of Appeal in the hopes of reinstating the October 2022 decision affirming her status as a convention refugee.

She first sought refuge in Canada after claiming she was a target of threats and violence from a former roommate, her former landlord, and a debt collection agency — threats police in Colorado did not do enough in response to, she claimed.

Colorado police at first charged her roommate with menacing after he threatened her with a gun — only to dismiss the case months later and repeal protection orders given to Bloodworth.

Despite the charges getting dropped, the former roommate continued to stalk Bloodworth, who was continually denied protection orders by police even after numerous complaints.

Bloodworth’s first attempt to seek refuge was unsuccessful, however, in 2022 Refugee Appeal Division member Dilani Mohan said Bloodworth’s fear of persecution was legitimate.

“The RPD failed to consider how Colorado’s open carry gun laws combined with the general climate of anti-trans hatred growing in the US could make [her] perpetually vulnerable and at risk to her life,” Mohan wrote.

Mohan also found that relocation within the US to a more liberal area, like New York City, was not an option for Bloodworth due to her financial status.

Soon after Bloodworth was granted refugee status, the Minister of Citizenship found issue with the decision, arguing Mohan had erred in “imposing a standard of perfect station protection” and failed to identify “any gaps in Colorado’s laws, which include state-level laws to protect transgender individuals.”

Last week the judge agreed, noting that Mohan failed to assess whether Bloodworth had “demonstrated with clear and convincing evidence that she exhausted the course of action reasonably available to her, without success.”

The federal court added that “more evidence demonstrating hardship and disadvantage” was needed to take New York City off the list of possible places for Bloodworth to relocate to.

Bloodworth, who is now a biological sciences student at Yukon University, says she hopes to find a way to stay in Canada.

“I honestly feel like this is home. I’m not going to say Canada’s perfect, but at least since I’ve moved here I haven’t been threatened with a gun or threatened with a knife. I haven’t been discriminated against because I’m transgender,” she said.

“I feel like I could actually live here — if I was allowed to live here.”