Texas Dad Deported by ICE to Ghana Was Sent to Mali Despite Judge's Ruling He Could Face Persecution

A Texas father who spent nearly half his life in the United States says he was sent to Mali after being deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to Ghana, despite a judge's ruling that he could face persecution if returned to his home country.

Moussa Diawara, 57, is now fighting to return to his American wife and two children after being left homeless and fearing for his safety, according to a 60 Minutes investigation.

ICE Deportation Paperwork Listed Mali as Destination

Diawara was deported to Ghana on 31 July as part of the Trump administration's third-country deportation programme. He said Ghanaian officials subsequently put him on a flight to Mali, where he feared persecution because he had converted to Christianity.

Documents issued during his removal have raised questions about the intended destination. Diawara's medical form and both baggage tags issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) listed Mali, despite the US government's position that he had been flown to Ghana.

James Percival, DHS' top lawyer, said Diawara had been flown to Ghana but could not explain why the paperwork listed Mali. DHS later said the baggage tags had been produced by contractors and described the medical form's destination entry as a clerical error.

Judge Blocked Texas Father's Deportation to Mali

Diawara arrived in the US on a tourist visa at the age of 32 and later sought protection, arguing that returning to Mali would put him at risk. The country has a Muslim-majority population and faces an Islamist insurgency.

In 2012, a US immigration judge ruled that Diawara could not be deported to Mali because he was likely to face persecution there. The ruling, known as withholding of removal, allowed him to remain in the US while leaving the government free to seek a safe alternative destination.

Diawara, who has no criminal record, obtained a work permit and worked as an Uber driver. He was finishing a night shift on 11 July when ICE agents arrived at his suburban Houston home. His wife and two children are US citizens.

Texas Dad Says He Was Left Homeless in Mali

Diawara spent three weeks in ICE detention in Texas before being deported to Ghana. He told 60 Minutes that he and other deportees were detained in a hotel under armed guard and prevented from making phone calls.

'I cannot call my wife, I can't contact my lawyer. I can't talk to no one,' he said.

After arriving in Mali, Diawara said he had no money or identification and was forced to hide because he feared for his safety. He eventually escaped to another country with help from local truckers. The investigation withheld that country's name over concerns for his security.

Third-Country Deportations Face Wider Scrutiny

The 60 Minutes investigation found that 17 of the 19 people it contacted who had been deported to Ghana said they were subsequently sent against their will to countries where US immigration judges had ruled they should not be returned.

Immigration attorney Meredyth Yoon said she believed US officials knew about Ghana's actions, citing warnings raised in a previous lawsuit. Ghana's government declined to comment.

DHS said Ghana had provided diplomatic assurances regarding Diawara's safety. Percival argued that third-country deportations were widely misunderstood and said foreign governments might independently determine whether people could be returned to their countries of origin.

A federal appeals court upheld a ruling that the administration's third-country deportation policy was unlawful because it denied deportees due process. The Supreme Court has allowed the removals to continue while it considers the case in December.

Texas Father Seeks Return to US Family

Diawara's lawyer, Reuben S. Kerben, has asked a federal judge in Washington, DC, to order his return to the United States. His wife, Barbara, a registered nurse, is waiting for him with their children, Corey, 16, and Chloe, 12.

'It feels really empty without him,' Corey said.

Barbara said she was trying to remain strong for their children while the family waited for developments in Diawara's case.