A U.S. District Judge in Massachusetts has ruled that the Trump administration must bring back a Guatemalan immigrant, known as “O.C.G.,” who was deported to Mexico despite serious fears of persecution and harm. This marks the third time courts have ordered the administration to facilitate the return of someone it deported improperly.
The judge, Brian Murphy, described the case as a “banal horror” where O.C.G. was wrongfully sent back to a dangerous situation. He highlighted that O.C.G. had no security threats and was in grave danger, having been raped and kidnapped while traveling through Mexico in April 2024.
O.C.G. told immigration officials he feared persecution if returned to Guatemala. An immigration judge agreed and issued a withholding order to prevent his deportation there. However, just two days after that order, O.C.G. was deported to Mexico instead, where he was forced to choose between indefinite detention or returning to Guatemala. He chose to return to Guatemala and is reportedly in hiding.
The judge criticized the administration for initially denying that O.C.G. had expressed fears about returning to Mexico, then failing to produce evidence of any such discussion.
Murphy emphasized the importance of following laws and keeping promises, saying that returning O.C.G. poses a very small cost compared to upholding these values. The settlement must be reported back to the court within five days.
This is not the first time the Trump administration has been ordered to return someone it deported improperly. Previous cases include Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador and imprisoned despite denials of gang involvement. His case reached the Supreme Court, which ordered the administration to facilitate his return. Another case involved Daniel Lozano-Camargo, also wrongly deported to El Salvador.
However, Judge Murphy pointed out that O.C.G.’s case is simpler because he is not currently held by a foreign government, and the administration has not argued that his return would be difficult or costly.
The administration’s mass deportations have faced many legal challenges, including recent rulings stopping deportations of migrants to countries where they have no ties, such as South Sudan.
