U.S. court orders return of migrant deported to Africa

A federal judge has ordered the United States government to return Bryan Omar Sánchez, a Honduran migrant, to the U.S. and respect his due process rights. Sánchez was forcibly deported to the Central African Republic in July, marking a significant legal challenge to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policies regarding third-country removals.

Judge Regina M. Rodríguez of the United States District Court for Colorado ruled that expelling individuals to third countries without notice or the opportunity to challenge removal violates constitutional due process. If Sánchez returns to Colorado, he will be the first person returned under this specific judicial order following the implementation of agreements that allow the U.S. to send migrants to various African nations.

In a related legal development, the First Circuit Court of Appeals recently struck down the Department of Homeland Security’s third-country removal policy. However, legal disputes continue as the Department of Justice attempted to argue that removals could proceed until an official mandate was issued. Flight data has indicated ICE charter jets landing in African host countries, raising concerns that other removals may be occurring despite judicial interventions.