A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to bring a Colombian woman back to the United States from the Democratic Republic of Congo, following her deportation to the African country, which had refused to accept her.
Ruling on Deportation
US District Judge Richard Leon ruled on Wednesday that the deportation of Adriana María Quiroz Zapata was likely illegal. The 55-year-old, who suffers from diabetes and a thyroid condition, was sent to a country that could not provide sufficient medical care, according to the ruling. As a result, she faces a daily risk of medical complications, including death.
Health Deterioration
While in detention, Quiroz Zapata developed black spots on her back and foot, her skin began to peel, and her nails blackened, according to a court declaration provided by her lawyer. Her lawyer, Lauren O'Neal, expressed concern for her client's well-being, noting that Quiroz Zapata worries she will die.
Detention in Kinshasa
Quiroz Zapata entered the US from Mexico in August 2024 and was taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. After deportation, she has been living in a hotel in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The hotel gates are locked, and she is rarely allowed out, only with supervision.
Broader Context
Quiroz Zapata is among thousands of immigrants living legally in the US, awaiting rulings on asylum claims, who were suddenly issued deportation orders to countries where most had no connections. Advocacy groups report that over 15,000 third-country deportation orders were issued under the White House push for increased immigrant expulsions, though only a fraction have been carried out.
Details of agreements to accept these deportees are scarce, but the US has signed such agreements with countries including Ecuador, Honduras, Uganda, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Advocacy groups estimate only a couple of hundred third-country deportations have been executed.
