Texas dad deported to Ghana then forced to Mali despite judge's ruling

A Texas man who spent nearly half his life in the United States was deported to Ghana by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to CBS News.

The man, originally from Mali, had a U.S. immigration judge rule in 2012 that he could not be deported to Mali due to the risk of persecution, but the U.S. could find a safe third country for removal. Despite this, local officials in Ghana forced him onto a flight to Mali shortly after his arrival, CBS News reported.

He had overstayed a tourist visa and applied for refugee protection, citing conversion to Christianity and the Islamist insurgency in Mali as reasons for potential persecution. He had no criminal record and had been working legally in the U.S., including as an Uber driver.

The practice of deporting immigrants to third countries occurs when they cannot be sent back to their home countries. However, a 60 Minutes investigation found that some third countries return deportees to the countries they fled, even when U.S. judges have ruled against such deportations due to safety concerns.