Deported despite a court orderCAT/Withholding of Removal
People with CAT or withholding protection deported to third countries
Reported cases describe people who had won protection from deportation to their home countries under CAT or withholding of removal—due to torture, persecution, or Taliban threats—instead deported by ICE to third countries including Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Ghana, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic. Several describe being shackled, beaten, or held under armed guard without medical care or documents, from Texas, Maryland, California, and overseas facilities. First documented June 2025, the pattern became recurring by August 2026, which was also its peak month, forming a larger share of recent documented stories than earlier ones.”} <!-- wait this exceeds schema -->
First documented Jun 2025, recurring since Aug 2026. A larger share of recent stories than earlier ones.
Share of each month's well-documented stories, Jan 2025 to Oct 2026. Volume is not shown: coverage grew over the record, shares did not have to.
25 stories in 7 states. What accompanies this practice →
“An animal has more rights than we do; this is called human trafficking, they have us kidnapped in this country, we have no papers, we are at the mercy of whatever may happen,”
California
District of Columbia
Florida
José S.S.: Ex-Ecuadorian minister deported despite torture protection, now abused in jailJosé Serrano Salgado, Ecuador's former interior minister, lost about 25 pounds in nearly a year of detention before being deported despite a torture-protection ruling, and now says he's abused in an Ecuadorian prison.Miami, FL · Sep 20, 2026 · Notus, New York Post, Daily Gazette +2
Jorge C.: Colombian father with court protection deported by ICE to DR CongoJorge Cubillos, 42, a truck driver who lived in Florida with his wife and four children since 2018, was deported in shackles to the Democratic Republic of Congo despite legal protection from removal.Orlando, FL · May 22, 2026 · Greyta Studio, Naira Voice, My News 13 +11
Louisiana
Maria: Colombian torture survivor with U.S. court protection deported to CongoMaria, 29, a Colombian torture survivor granted U.S. protection from deportation to Colombia, was instead shackled and flown nearly 24 hours to Congo, one of 15 Latin Americans sent there.Louisiana · Apr 17, 2026 · Associated Press, Third Country Deportation Watch, The Independent +1- Britania U.R.: Transgender woman deported to Mexico despite court order barring her removalBritania Uriostegui Rios, a transgender woman, was deported to Mexico without notice despite a court order finding she could face torture or death there, leaving her without medication, ID, or money.Winnfield, LA · Nov 12, 2025 · Them, CNN, LGBTQ Nation +4
Maryland
Texas
Virginia
Location not tied to one state
- Adam: Refugee granted protection by judge deported to Equatorial Guinea and beatenA 26-year-old refugee called Adam, who fled forced military conscription and had won protection from deportation, was secretly sent to Equatorial Guinea, where he has been confined under guard and beaten for nearly a year.Oct 2, 2026 · The Guardian, Reuters
Nika: Iranian woman deported to Central African Republic despite winning US protection orderNika, a 32-year-old Iranian woman who had won protection from being sent back to Iran, was instead deported to the Central African Republic, where she has since gotten malaria and faces police harassment.CA · Sep 21, 2026 · Associated Press, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, NBC News +5
Mexican informant shielded from deportation arrested by ICE on court-ordered returnA Mexican man who testified against drug traffickers for U.S. prosecutors was detained by ICE immediately after returning under a judge's order allowing his safe return, despite past fears he could be tortured if deported again.TX · Sep 11, 2026 · El País, Latin Times, MidPage +2
Peta-Gaye C.: Jamaican woman deported to Equatorial Guinea despite 2013 protection orderPeta-Gaye Chambers, 35, who came from Jamaica as a child, had been protected from deportation since 2013 over fears of persecution. She was deported to Equatorial Guinea anyway in June and says she was dragged from her room at gunpoint.Malabo, Equatorial Guinea · Sep 8, 2026 · Tucson.com, Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, Click2Houston
Iranian activist protected from return to Iran deported to Central African RepublicAn Iranian pro-democracy activist in her thirties was deported to the Central African Republic despite a judge's order protecting her from removal to Iran, and now lives in isolation, fearing extortion and police harassment.LA · Sep 1, 2026 · The Independent, News Central TV, NBC News +11
Khalil: Afghan man granted protection from Taliban deported to Central African RepublicKhalil, a 24-year-old Afghan man granted protection from deportation due to Taliban threats against his family, was deported to the Central African Republic anyway. His brother, trained as a pilot by the U.S. military, was killed by the Taliban.Aug 30, 2026 · CBS News, NPR, Times Now World +3
Carlos T.S.: Venezuelan father deported by ICE to Liberia despite court order protecting himCarlos Téllez-Sanchez, a Venezuelan father who worked at a car dealership and for Uber Eats, was deported to Liberia despite a court order protecting him, missing his newborn son's birth after nearly eight months in detention.TX · Aug 21, 2026 · PACER Monitor, Últimas Noticias, US Inquirer +9
Six people deported by ICE held without medical care in Equatorial GuineaSix deportees — four Cubans, a Brazilian and a Cameroonian — refused a third-country flight to Liberia and were instead flown to Equatorial Guinea, where they're held under armed guard without hygiene items or medical care.Malabo, Equatorial Guinea · Aug 20, 2026 · The Guardian, Cuba Headlines, Reuters +3
Arín G.Y.: Colombian construction worker with stay of removal deported by ICE to LiberiaArín García Yepes, a Colombian construction worker from Dallas who had lived in the U.S. 15 months, was flown to Liberia despite a stay of removal and remains stranded in a Monrovia hotel without documents.Aug 20, 2026 · El País, The Connect Online, El Centavo +2- William O.H.: Honduran man protected by judge's order deported by ICE to LiberiaWilliam Ortiz Hernández, a Honduran man granted protection from removal over torture fears, was deported to Liberia and now lives in a Monrovia hotel without a passport, treating his diabetes there.“An animal has more rights than we do; this is called human trafficking, they have us kidnapped in this country, we have no papers, we are at the mercy of whatever may happen,” — Arístides Fernández GarcíaAug 20, 2026 · El País
Ghanaian LGBTQ+ women deported to Cameroon, held two months in compoundSoraya, a Ghanaian woman granted protection from deportation, was instead sent to Cameroon with two other Ghanaian LGBTQ+ women, shackled, held two months, and freed only after a hunger strike.“You couldn't move, and it felt like we had committed some kind of crime, like terrorism. I felt like a terrorist because what on earth did I do to be shackled like that to the point that I couldn't move. I just came to the US for safety. I didn't expect that at all.”Aug 5, 2026 · Ghana Tomorrow, France 24
Father who testified against cartels deported by ICE despite protection from tortureA Mexican man in his late 40s, a Maryland father who testified against drug cartel members, was deported despite torture protections. A judge ordered his return within 14 days.MD · Aug 1, 2026 · Seattle Times, The New Republic, Newsweek +7
Mexican man deported three times despite court order barring removal to MexicoA Mexican man living in Maryland who testified against drug cartels was deported three times in two weeks after losing protection from removal, and now hides in Mexico fearing retaliation.MD · Aug 1, 2026 · Talking Points Memo, Newsweek
Aylin: Gay Turkish asylum seeker deported to Central African Republic despite protection orderAylin, a 28-year-old gay Turkish woman protected from deportation to Turkey, says she was shackled and flown to the Central African Republic instead, a country she had never heard of, before returning to Turkey in fear.Jul 1, 2026 · CNN, K.D. Sherpa, JRL Charts +1
Barbara: Ethiopian woman granted protection by a judge deported to CameroonBarbara, a young Ethiopian woman who fled Tigray's civil war, had a deportation protection order but was deported to Cameroon anyway in April 2026. She remains at a shelter in Yaoundé, alone and unable to speak French.LA · Apr 28, 2026 · France 24, HCN Times- Man protected from deportation to El Salvador deported there by ICEA man with protection against torture was deported to El Salvador despite that protection, passed shackled through Mexico and Guatemala; his family has had no contact with him since October 9.Oct 9, 2025 · Human Rights First, CourtListener, American Immigration Council