A federal judge ordered the immediate release of Nyamuoch Thomas Duoth, a lawful permanent resident born in a refugee camp in Ethiopia who arrived in the U.S. as a refugee in 1994, from an Iowa jail where she was held by ICE. Duoth, a citizen of South Sudan, had been detained since March 2025 after ICE said it intended to deport her to South Sudan or Ethiopia, though officials failed to show progress toward removal for more than six months after her removal order became final. U.S. District Judge Stephen Locher said the government's argument that her past criminal history justified continued detention was 'hard to take seriously,' noting she had lived in the community without incident for years after her convictions. Duoth's attorneys are now seeking reimbursement of legal fees from the federal government.