Xiaoqin Yan, a 31-year-old Chinese national previously convicted of arson at the historic First Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, has been indicted for escaping from a federal prison in Connecticut.
In September 2021, Yan entered the First Baptist Church and ignited multiple fires, causing damage estimated at $25,000. Founded in 1829, First Baptist Church is a historic Baptist megachurch originally established as a mixed congregation of free and enslaved Black worshippers alongside white congregants. Despite the church’s rich and inclusive history, Yan reportedly expressed contempt for its pastors, referring to them as “rich, white men.”
Surveillance footage captured her carrying bags into the church and setting the fires. She was arrested in October 2021 and later convicted of arson and illegal possession of a firearm, as she had overstayed her student visa, rendering her firearm possession unlawful. (RELATED: Action Needed: Why Trump Must Stop Issuing These Student Visas Immediately)
While serving her initial eight-and-a-half-year sentence, Yan escaped from the low-security Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, on Dec. 10, 2024. Her escape was short-lived — local police apprehended her just 45 minutes later and returned her to custody.
A federal grand jury in New Haven indicted Yan on April 9, 2025, charging her with escape from the custody of the attorney general. If convicted, she faces up to five additional years in federal prison. (RELATED: Terrifying Details Emerge: Suspect Reveals Intentions Had He Caught Governor)
Yan’s case has sparked renewed debate over the incarceration of foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes in the United States.
Many supporters of the administration argue that individuals like Yan should be transferred to El Salvador’s notorious mega-prison, CECOT, under a recent U.S. agreement with the Central American country. Under the deal, El Salvador receives $20,000 per deportee annually to house them in its prison system.
El Salvador’s prisons — particularly under the leadership of President Nayib Bukele — have gained international attention for their uncompromising anti-gang policies. Since Bukele’s crackdown began in 2022, the country’s homicide rate has plummeted from over 100 per 100,000 people in 2015 to just 2.4 in 2023.
However, facilities like CECOT have also faced sharp criticism from human rights organizations, who cite concerns over alleged abuses and harsh conditions within the prison complex.
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I hear there’s a vacancy sign at CECOT.
WHY is she not just DEPORTED back to China and STOP forcing the citizens to not only FEED her but be endangered buy her
SHIP her A** back to China
This is terrible. Send her to El Salvador or deport her back to China.
At $20,000 per year per detainee my question is this in perpetuity? What if the detainee dies or is released? Does the payment continue and who monitors this? Everything seems okay now but what about in the future?
Seems we didn’t “promise them a rose garden”!