A federal judge in Colorado has ordered the U.S. government to return a Honduran migrant to the United States after he was deported to the Central African Republic, a country with which he has no ties. The order came one month after Brayan Omar Sanchez Servellon was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and subsequently deported.
U.S. District Judge Regina Rodriguez mandated that federal authorities bring Sanchez Servellon back to Colorado and release him on his own recognizance, without restrictive conditions such as GPS monitoring or mandatory reporting. Sanchez Servellon had been living in the U.S. since 2016, and while an immigration judge issued a removal order to Honduras in 2020, he had been granted protection under the Convention Against Torture, which prevented his return to his native country.
Sanchez Servellon is among approximately 25,000 individuals deported to so-called third countries during the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts, according to Human Rights First. Third-country deportations involve removing immigrants to a foreign nation where they are not citizens and have no personal connections. The U.S. Department of State issues travel advisories warning Americans against traveling to the Central African Republic due to risks of unrest, crime, kidnapping, landmines, health issues, and terrorism.
In court filings, Sanchez Servellon stated that the Central African Republic is dangerous and that he does not speak the local language. He has shared videos on TikTok detailing his experience after deportation.
The Immigration and Nationality Act permits the Department of Homeland Security to deport migrants to third countries when it can be established that individuals face persecution in their country of origin or if that country is unable to accept them. Immigration lawyers and advocates note that while third-country removals are not new, they have become more common in recent months, with the administration establishing agreements with several nations for the deportation of asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants with criminal records.