US judge orders return of migrant deported to Africa

Ahmed Soliman has been held incommunicado in Equatorial Guinea since speaking out about detention conditions, his lawyer says A US federal judge has ordered the administration of President Donald Trump to facilitate the return of an Egyptian man deported to Equatorial Guinea, finding that the transfer violated his constitutional rights.

Arizona District Judge John Hinderaker said in a ruling seen on Thursday that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had deported Ahmed Soliman, 31, from the US in April without a meaningful opportunity to challenge his destination.

Soliman arrived in the US at age four.

Soliman had lost his immigration status following convictions for aggravated assault and possession of a synthetic narcotic but secured protection against deportation to Egypt over fears of persecution because he is gay and members of his family had reportedly been tortured and imprisoned by Egyptian authorities.

Read more The great American offload: Did the US just find a new place to send its problems? His lawyer, Dana Camilleri, said he has been held incommunicado in Equatorial Guinea since September 11 after speaking out about detention conditions there, including threats at gunpoint by police officers.

US Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva, a Democrat representing Arizona’s 7th District, subsequently urged Washington to secure his release, citing reports that he had been “hooded, bound, and beaten with guns and shoved down a flight of stairs” in the Central African country.

DHS argued that Equatorial Guinea’s diplomatic assurances against persecution or torture made an individual hearing unnecessary.

Judge Hinderaker rejected the argument, saying the approach provided “no notice of the country of removal and no opportunity to be heard,” according to the court order dated October 6.

He ordered the Trump administration to report within three days on Soliman’s whereabouts, custody, and physical condition, along with steps taken to secure his return and the anticipated timeline.

READ MORE: African state joins Trump deportation drive The case adds to growing controversy over Trump’s third-country deportation policy, under which immigrants Washington deems ineligible to remain in the US are sent to nations where they often have no ties.

Human Rights Watch’s analysis of US immigration data counted 536 such transfers to Africa between January 20, 2025 and August 5, 2026, including to Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Cameroon, DR Congo, and the Central African Republic.

Rights groups have reported beatings, threats at gunpoint, and inadequate medical care in Equatorial Guinea.