ICE Deports Torture Survivor to Africa After Failed Mexico Abandonment Attempt

Adriana Quiroz Zapata, a Colombian woman who survived torture by police linked to her ex-boyfriend, was deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on April 16, 2024. The deportation occurred despite her having no ties to the DRC, marking the second failed attempt to abandon her outside the United States.

From Colombia to ICE Detention: A Survivor’s Ordeal

Zapata fled Colombia after enduring repeated beatings and sexual assault by associates of her ex-boyfriend, who were police officers. She escaped with her life but faced further mistreatment in U.S. federal custody. Initially, ICE attempted to deport her to Mexico, a country where she had no connections, but Mexican immigration authorities refused to accept her after reviewing her case.

Last year, The Bulwark reported on Zapata’s plight. Her medical condition has since worsened: prediabetes progressed to diabetes due to her diet in detention, and she requires medication that officials in the DRC cannot provide, according to her lawyer, Lauren O’Neal.

Congressman Rob Menendez Condemns Trump Administration’s Actions

Rep. Rob Menendez (D-N.J.), whose district includes Zapata’s family members, criticized the administration’s decision to send her to the DRC. He stated:

“There’s no limits to their cruelty and I think that’s what’s really important for the American people to know, there’s a complete misalignment with what they sold the American people. Americans are being shot in the street, people with protected status are being removed to third countries in Africa. Think about the hypocrisy on so many levels: They said they had to cut $1 trillion in fraud, waste, and abuse yet they’re using taxpayer money to remove people with protected status and flying them to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

During a House floor speech, Menendez condemned Republicans for remaining “silent” and “complicit” regarding the administration’s deportation policies, adding, “If we do not get her back she will die.”

DRC Detention: Allegations of Coercion and Neglect

O’Neal, Zapata’s lawyer, described her client’s current conditions in the DRC as dire. In an April 23, 2024, letter to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, O’Neal requested expedited humanitarian parole for Zapata, citing reports that she is given only bread and water, with escorted access to a convenience store. O’Neal also alleged that DRC officials, in coordination with Colombian diplomatic representatives, are pressuring detainees to sign documents relinquishing their rights—a move that could further endanger Zapata’s safety.

Zapata has not responded to requests for comment on her physical and mental state. O’Neal described her client as “fragile” and “very sensitive” at this time.