US ICE deported Texas resident to Ghana and then Mali despite court warnings of persecution

In July 2024, Moussa Diawara, a 25‑year‑long US resident with no criminal record, was arrested in Houston while finishing a night shift as an Uber driver. ICE agents detained him for three weeks in Texas without access to counsel, then placed him on a flight to West Africa. He arrived in Ghana on 31 July, a nation with which he had no personal ties, and was held in a hotel by armed guards, unable to contact his family or lawyer. Within five days, Ghanaian authorities transferred him to Mali – the very country a US immigration judge had previously ruled was unsafe for him.

Diawara, originally from Mali, had entered the United States in 1999 and later overstayed his tourist visa. He applied for refugee protection, claiming he would face persecution if returned to his war‑torn homeland. In 2012 a US immigration judge ordered his deportation but barred removal to Mali, allowing him to obtain a work permit. After the Trump administration’s intensified removal programme, ICE deported roughly 25,000 individuals to “third countries” – nations that are neither the US nor the person’s country of origin – often in exchange for US aid or other benefits.

Background

The Trump administration’s second term saw nearly one million deportations in its first eighteen months, with the majority sent back to their countries of origin. However, about 25,000 were sent to third countries such as Panama for Iranians and the Central African Republic for Cubans. While third‑country removals have precedent, the scale under Trump was unprecedented. ICE’s practice often involved sending detainees to nations that receive substantial US assistance, creating a link between deportations and foreign aid programmes.

Why it matters

Diawara’s case illustrates the human impact of large‑scale third‑country removals. After being dropped in Ghana without money or identification, he was forced onto a flight to Mali, where he faced heightened risk due to his conversion to Christianity in a Muslim‑majority country with an active Islamist insurgency. He reported homelessness, lack of legal assistance, and fear for his safety. The situation raises concerns about compliance with US immigration rulings that aim to protect individuals from persecution, and it highlights the broader vulnerability of thousands of deportees placed in unfamiliar environments where they may lack language skills, support networks, or legal recourse.

What happens next

The CBS 60 Minutes investigation, aired on 25 October 2026, calls attention to the ongoing practice of third‑country deportations and the need for oversight. While the report does not specify immediate policy changes, it underscores the legal and humanitarian questions surrounding ICE’s actions, particularly when deportations contradict prior judicial findings that a person would face danger in the destination country. Further scrutiny from courts, Congress, and human‑rights organisations may shape future deportation protocols.