U.S. Judge Orders Trump Administration to Return Colombian Woman Deported to Congo

A U.S. federal judge has ordered the administration of Donald Trump to return a Colombian woman to the United States after she was deported to the Democratic Republic of the Congo despite serious medical concerns and legal objections.

The woman, identified as Adriana María Quiroz Zapata, was reportedly deported under a controversial third-country removal policy that has drawn increasing criticism from immigration advocates and human rights groups. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled that her deportation was “likely illegal” and ordered the government to take immediate steps to facilitate her return.

According to court documents, Quiroz Zapata suffers from diabetes and thyroid-related health complications. The court noted that Congolese authorities had allegedly refused to formally accept her because they could not provide adequate medical treatment. The judge warned that her condition placed her at serious risk of medical complications “up to and including death.”

Reports indicate that the 55-year-old Colombian national entered the United States through Mexico in 2024 and was later detained by immigration authorities while pursuing asylum-related proceedings. Her lawyers argued that she had legal protections against deportation to Colombia due to fears of violence and abuse tied to a former partner allegedly connected to law enforcement.

After several countries reportedly declined to receive her, U.S. immigration authorities deported her to Congo, where she is said to be living under restricted conditions in a guarded hotel facility in the capital, Kinshasa. Her legal team says her health has deteriorated significantly since the deportation.

The case has intensified scrutiny of the Trump administration’s broader immigration enforcement strategy, particularly its use of third-country deportations involving migrants sent to nations where they have no personal ties. Advocacy groups claim thousands of migrants have received such deportation orders as part of an aggressive push to expand removals.

Legal experts say the ruling could become a major test of executive immigration authority and due process protections under U.S. law. The Department of Homeland Security has not publicly commented on the judge’s order as of Thursday.