Full Breakdown
Judge Orders Return of Deportee While DHS Cites Ebola Travel Ban
5/20/2026, 1:48:39 AM
Deportation, Legal Rulings, and Current Status
On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) invoked a CDC directive barring travel to the United States from Ebola-affected regions to deny the return of Zapata, a Colombian national deported to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) before the outbreak. Zapata’s lawyers filed a brief on Tuesday contesting the refusal. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, appointed by President George W. Bush, ruled last Wednesday that the federal government must repatriate Zapata.
Medical Vulnerabilities and Ebola Context
Zapata remains in Kinshasa, the DRC capital, which has reported no Ebola cases. Her medical record lists diabetes with extensive skin lesions, vascular and metabolic disease, and other chronic conditions. In the United States, she would receive medical care with assistance from relatives in New Jersey. Lawyers argue that these pre-existing health issues, combined with the regional Ebola threat and Congolese officials’ prior statement that they could not provide adequate care, make her especially vulnerable.
Key Actors and Institutional Roles
Key individuals include Zapata; her legal team; U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, who ordered her return; and DHS, which cited the CDC travel ban. The CDC’s directive restricts entry from Ebola-affected areas. Congolese officials, who previously declined to treat Zapata, are also noted. Zapata’s former intimate partner, linked to the Colombian National Police, was the basis for a 2024 ruling that barred her return to Colombia due to a credible risk of torture.
Official Government Position
DHS officials referenced the CDC directive as the legal basis for denying Zapata’s re-entry, asserting that the travel ban applies to individuals arriving from regions with active Ebola transmission. The agency emphasized compliance with public-health safeguards, despite Zapata’s residence in Kinshasa, a city without reported Ebola cases at the time of the filing.
Criticism and Legal Opposition
Zapata’s attorneys argue that DHS misapplies the CDC order, noting that her deportation preceded the Ebola alert and that she remains in a city without confirmed cases. They stress her diabetes and vascular disease, and the lack of local medical capacity, as heightening her risk. The lawyers also cite the 2024 ruling that barred her return to Colombia due to a credible threat of torture, underscoring the urgency of repatriation to the United States, where family support and medical care are available.
Verbatim Quotes
“diabetes accompanied by black spots on her foot and back, peeling skin, blackened nails, and other manifestations consistent with severe vascular and metabolic disease.” — Congolese officials (as quoted in source)
What’s Next
Judge Leon’s order obliges the executive branch to arrange Zapata’s return to the United States, requiring compliance despite DHS’s reliance on the CDC travel ban.
