Judge Slams ICE Deportation of Man Tortured by His Government

In a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Michelle Williams on Thursday, the government's deportation of Nigerian national Etinosa Osahon, who had been previously tortured by Nigerian government officials, was deemed unlawful. Osahon, who had been a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. since 2002, was convicted of mail fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

Despite a 2012 immigration court ruling granting him protection under the Convention Against Torture due to his prior torture experiences, the Trump administration deported him to Nigeria without proper safety measures, violating his Fifth Amendment due process rights. Osahon is currently hiding in Togo, has contracted malaria, and is separated from his family in California.

Judge Williams ordered the government to explain its actions and provided a temporary restraining order seeking details on his current location, custody status, and any steps being taken to bring him back to the U.S. The government defended the deportation as part of a broader effort to remove "the worst of the worst," while Osahon's attorneys argue he was subjected to a lack of procedural safeguards.