US judge orders return of Egyptian man deported to Equatorial Guinea

A US federal judge has ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to facilitate the release and return of Ahmed Soliman, an Egyptian man who was deported to Equatorial Guinea earlier this year.

Judge John C. Hinderaker ruled that the deportation violated the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. Soliman, who had previously been granted US legal protection due to fears of persecution in Egypt regarding his sexual orientation, was sent to Equatorial Guinea under a third-country removal scheme. Since speaking to the media about his conditions, Soliman has been held incommunicado by Equatoguinean authorities.

The ruling requires DHS to arrange the necessary travel documentation for his return to the United States. This decision may impact the broader administration policy of sending migrants to African countries that are neither their country of citizenship nor their habitual residence. Human Rights Watch reported that between January 2025 and August 2026, 536 people were deported to such third countries.