Judge Orders Return of Colombian Woman Deported to Congo

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to return a 55-year-old Colombian woman deported to the Democratic Republic of Congo after ruling that U.S. officials most likely violated federal law by sending her to a country that had refused to accept her due to her medical needs. U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon issued the order on Wednesday, directing the government to move to bring Adriana Maria Quiroz Zapata back to the United States and to report its progress by Friday and every 72 hours afterward.

Leon’s ruling said Congolese authorities notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement that they could not accept Zapata because of her medical conditions, which include diabetes and thyroid-related problems, with reporting also citing additional diagnoses. Leon wrote that the government sent her anyway, adding that sending Zapata to the Democratic Republic of Congo was likely illegal.

The case centers on what U.S. law requires for “third-country” deportations, which are permitted only if the receiving country agrees to accept the person. Court records cited in the rulings described Zapata’s earlier legal protection against removal to Colombia. In 2025, an immigration judge...