politics
Latin American Nationals Deported by US to Congo Remain in Limbo
Fifteen Latin American nationals deported from the United States to Congo under the current administration's third-country deportation policy are confined to a hotel in Kinshasa as their visas near expiration. One Colombian woman described being sent there despite a U.S. judge's protection order, facing a choice between returning to potential persecution in Colombia or remaining in Congo.
May 15, 9:16 AM·2m read2 sources
The IndependentAudio version
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One 29-year-old Colombian woman told the Associated Press she was deported despite a U.S. immigration judge's order protecting her from return to Colombia. She arrived in Congo on April 17 after a nearly 24-hour flight during which her hands and feet were restrained.
The woman had left Colombia in 2024 after threats from armed groups and abuse by a former partner who worked for the government. She crossed into Mexico and presented herself at an Arizona port of entry in September 2024, where officials found she had a credible fear of persecution.
A federal judge granted her protection under the U.N. Convention Against Torture in May 2025, according to court documents. She was released from detention in February after filing a habeas corpus petition but was detained again at her first check-in appointment with immigration officials in Texas.
Less than three weeks later she was informed she would be sent to a third country and placed on a flight to Congo the next day. She said she was told about the destination only the day before departure and nearly fainted upon learning it.
The group is confined to a hotel near Kinshasa's airport with locked gates and security that prevents unaccompanied departures. A United Nations-affiliated group supervises the deportees, allowing outings about once a week to shop or withdraw money but only while accompanied and with staff never out of sight.
The woman said staff choose where the group goes and what they buy. At the hotel the group receives organized activities including painting, music and volleyball though many have stopped participating. The Colombian woman spends most of her time in her room, calling her 10-year-old daughter in Colombia at night.
