A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to bring a Colombian woman back to the United States from the Democratic Republic of Congo, after she was deported to the African country that had refused to accept her.

The deportation of Adriana María Quiroz Zapata was “likely illegal”, US District Judge Richard Leon ruled on Wednesday. The 55-year-old, who has diabetes and a thyroid condition, “has been sent to a country that refused to accept her because they cannot provide sufficient medical care”, the ruling said, noting she faces a daily risk of medical complications, up to and including death.

According to a court declaration, black spots began to grow on Quiroz Zapata’s back and foot while in detention, her skin started to peel, and her nails blackened. Her lawyer, Lauren O’Neal, said she is not doing well and worries she will die.

Quiroz Zapata entered the US from Mexico in August 2024 and was taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. Since being deported, she has lived in a locked hotel in Kinshasa, rarely allowed out without supervision.

She was among thousands of immigrants legally living in the US, awaiting asylum rulings, when they were suddenly issued deportation orders to countries where most had no connections. Advocacy groups say over 15,000 third-country deportation orders were issued in the White House push for more expulsions, though only a fraction have been carried out.

Source: www.theguardian.com