ICE deports Congolese mother despite fears she could be killed

A Congolese mother who fled her home country to escape years of abuse has been deported from the United States, with lawyers warning that she now faces a serious risk of being killed.

According to court documents obtained by Newsweek and reported by The Independent, she faced a decade of trauma at the hands of her husband, a local politician, and his family.

Identified in filings as Jane Doe, the woman says she was forced to marry the politician at just 14 to settle a family debt.

Over the next ten years, she alleges she suffered repeated physical and sexual abuse from her husband and two of his sons.

During this time, she bore four children while being 'kept like a hostage' according to court filings.

Her father was allegedly shot dead by the politician while she watched, and her husband continued to pursue her even after she fled the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Doe’s flight from Africa was driven by fear for her life. She applied for asylum upon arrival in the United States, but her request was denied on June 10, 2025.

A US immigration judge did grant her withholding of removal, a limited protection that should have allowed her to stay in the country under certain conditions.

Despite this, Doe was detained at the Richwood Correctional Center in Monroe, Louisiana, and late on the night of February 14, she was notified that she was being moved.

She was not told whether it was a transfer to another facility or deportation.

Early the next morning, she was placed on a deportation flight bound for several African countries including Senegal, Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, and Nigeria, though her exact destination has not been confirmed.

Her attorneys have expressed concern, warning that Doe is in ‘grave danger’ due to her husband’s influence and the risk of local violence if she returns.

They have filed an emergency motion in a local district court, seeking a temporary restraining order to halt her deportation. She could face severe harm or death if sent back to the region, as per filings.