Maryland woman dragged in Ghana after deportation sparks global outrage
A 58-year-old Maryland mother and grandmother, Rabbiatu Kuyateh, was deported from the U.S. to Ghana and later seen on video being dragged across a hotel floor — a distressing sequence that has raised deep questions about human rights, U.S. immigration policy, and international accountability.
Tragic Return to a Land She Never Called Home
Rabbiatu Kuyateh fled civil war in Sierra Leone decades ago and spent more than 30 years building a life in the Washington, D.C., area. Her son, Mohamed Alghali, says her home in Bowie, Maryland, was her anchor. But in July 2025, she reported for her annual ICE check-in — a routine she had kept for years — only to be told she had an order of removal.
Instead of being sent back to Sierra Leone — where she claimed she had been previously tortured — Kuyateh was flown to Ghana, shackled by her wrists and ankles for a 10-hour flight, she told reporters. Her attorney said U.S. authorities ignored court orders that should have protected her from removal to a third country.
Video obtained by NBC Washington shows her being dragged out of a hotel in Ghana, allegedly by government-affiliated personnel in green uniforms. In her words, she resisted leaving because a U.S. judge had ruled she should not be forced back to Sierra Leone. The footage shocked international viewers — and prompted serious legal and diplomatic backlash.
Systemic Risks and Legal Challenges
Kuyateh’s case is not an isolated incident. Her deportation aligns with a controversial U.S. “third-country” removal policy, in which the U.S. deports migrants to nations with which they may have little or no connection — or where they could face danger. Ghana is one such nation, and human rights advocates have strongly criticized this arrangement.
A Ghanaian rights group, Democracy Hub, has filed a lawsuit against the Ghanaian government, arguing that the agreement with the U.S. bypasses Ghana’s parliament and violates international treaties protecting people from being deported to places where they could face persecution. Lawyers argue the arrangement lacks transparency and due process, especially for those who never had ties to Ghana.
Asylum Protections Ignored — Allegations of Abuse
Some deportees who ended up in Ghana say they had legal protections in the U.S., including asylum or court orders preventing their removal to their home countries. In one particularly alarming lawsuit, five migrants alleged they spent a 16-hour flight shackled, restrained in straitjackets, and given only bread and water, aboard a U.S. military cargo plane.
Upon landing in Ghana, some were held in detention under “abysmal conditions,” including a camp known as Dema Camp, which reportedly has only tent shelters, poor sanitation, and little running water. For others, the nightmare didn’t end there: several say they were dumped in Togo via unofficial border crossings, without identity papers. One deportee described being left on the street, unable to reach out to their loved ones, and forced to live in constant fear.
A Son’s Despair, a Family’s Fight
Mohamed Alghali, Kuyateh’s son, says his heart broke when he learned of his mother’s fate. He believed she would be released back to Maryland, but never saw her again in person.
Kuyateh’s lawyer, Hannah Bridges, argues that U.S. authorities violated her civil rights. According to her, the government never gave Kuyateh a meaningful opportunity to challenge her removal to a third country. Despite a federal judge’s ruling that she should not be sent to Sierra Leone, she was still forced onto a plane and removed to Ghana.
Ghanaian officials have not publicly clarified who in their government carried out the removal or why. NBC Washington reached out to Ghana’s Ministry of the Interior; they acknowledged the request but provided no further comment.
International Outcry and Calls for Accountability
The United Nations human rights office has weighed in, calling for Ghana to halt its deportation of individuals when U.S. courts have determined returning them to their home countries would be unsafe. Meanwhile, legal advocates in Ghana argue that the accord with the U.S. was never ratified by parliament and may violate international non-refoulement principles.
Adding to the outrage, a recent legal filing revealed that nineteen deportees who landed in Ghana have since been moved to an “unknown location,” under armed guard, according to their lawyer. Their families have reportedly lost contact.
Why This Matters: The Bigger Picture
Kuyateh’s case underscores a deeply troubling trend. Under the U.S. “third-country deportation” policy, people are being removed not to their countries of origin, but to other nations with limited protections, often without full legal recourse or transparency. This practice raises serious questions about accountability, jurisdiction, and the rights of deported individuals.
Human rights groups warn that deportees may face persecution, inhumane detention conditions, or further forced transfers — and that traditional checks and balances are being bypassed in high-stakes removal processes.
For Kuyateh’s family, this is deeply personal. She has expressed her longing to return to her U.S. home, calling America “her home” and lamenting that the government that once allowed her to live and work there has now stripped her of that life.
What Comes Next: Legal and Diplomatic Stakes
- Legal Advocacy: Lawyers continue to challenge the legality of the U.S.-Ghana deportation deal. Civil rights attorneys argue that people like Kuyateh deserve more robust hearings and that deportations under third-country agreements must comply with both U.S. and international law.
- Ghana Accountability: Democracy Hub’s lawsuit could force a courtroom reckoning over whether Ghanaian law permits such removals without parliamentary approval. Politico
- International Pressure: Human rights bodies may intensify scrutiny, especially if more deportees report abuse, detention without due process, or forced removal to other countries.
- Policy Reexamination: The fallout may push U.S. policymakers and global actors to reevaluate the ethics and legality of deporting people to third countries where their rights could be compromised.
Conclusion
Rabbiatu Kuyateh’s forced return to Ghana — a country she never called home — and the disturbing images of her being dragged across a hotel floor are stark reminders that deportation policies can have profound human costs. Her story is not just about one woman: it reflects systemic failures at the intersection of immigration enforcement, international law, and human rights.
As legal challenges mount and voices around the world demand accountability, the question remains: Will governments listen — or continue to sideline the dignity of those most vulnerable?
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