Federal Judge Orders DHS to Return Detainee Held in Equatorial Guinea

Soliman has been detained under armed guard since April, part of a controversial third-country deportation policy that has seen roughly 25,000 people sent to nations where they lack ties. In Equatorial Guinea, a country where homosexuality is criminalized, Soliman was arrested, hooded, and beaten after speaking out about conditions at the hotel where detainees are held. Judge Hinderaker noted that the government’s actions left the man confined without food or legal access, describing the state of his detention as an unrebutted record of abuse.

While the court’s decision offers a reprieve, the legal battle over the Trump administration’s $40 million network of secretive deportation deals continues. Although the judge granted the government three days to outline steps for Soliman's return, the administration retains a 30-day window to appeal. Advocates remain focused on the broader policy, noting that dozens of others remain trapped in similar conditions abroad while the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments on the legality of these removals in December.