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Dawit H.: Ethiopian man deported to Cameroon the weekend his lawyer sought his release

Dawit H., a 31-year-old man from Ethiopia, met the refugee definition and an immigration judge barred his return to Ethiopia by granting withholding of removal, but denied him asylum because of a rule barring those who crossed the southern border without authorization.

Oct 8, 2026Yaoundé, CameroonCountry of origin: Ethiopia

Dawit H., a 31-year-old man from Ethiopia, met the refugee definition and an immigration judge barred his return to Ethiopia by granting withholding of removal, but denied him asylum because of a rule barring those who crossed the southern border without authorization. After six months in detention, his lawyer was about to file for his release. She sent the request on a Friday; ICE transferred him that Saturday night from Texas to the Alexandria, Louisiana airport, and ignored his lawyer's calls trying to stop the deportation. He was deported to Cameroon late Sunday night. He has been sick every day since arriving at the detention center in Yaoundé, contracting malaria and being hospitalized three times for malaria and other illnesses.

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