KINSHASA — Fifteen South American migrants and asylum seekers were deported from the United States to the Democratic Republic of the Congo last week under a third-country agreement with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Some of the deportees had sought asylum in the U.S. after fleeing persecution in their home countries.

Since returning to the presidency for a second term, Trump has implemented measures to restrict immigration to the U.S. and expel immigrants already in the country. The DRC has human rights concerns and active conflict.

A 30-year-old Colombian woman named Gabriela learned she was being sent to the DRC one day before the flight. During the 27-hour trip, the deportees' hands and feet were shackled.

"I didn't want to go to Congo. I'm scared; I don't know the language." Gabriela said.

Another deportee described the pressure felt by those facing removal to a third country. "We feel pressured to agree to go back to our country, regardless of the risks," the person said.

Alma David, a lawyer, said the arrangement was designed to push migrants into abandoning their claims. "The goal is clear: Put people in a place so unfamiliar that they give up and agree to return home, despite the immense risk they face there," David said.

Court records show that a 29-year-old Colombian woman wrote in her asylum application in January 2024 that she left Colombia after being kidnapped and tortured by an armed group and abused by her ex-husband, who was a police officer. In May 2025, a U.S. immigration judge ruled that the woman was more likely than not to be tortured if returned to Colombia.