Judge Orders Release of Nigerian Woman Facing Deportation in U.S.
- May 20
- 2 min read
A United States federal judge has ordered immigration authorities to release a Nigerian woman, Temitope Majekodunmi, after ruling that her prolonged detention while awaiting deportation was unlawful.
Judge Tana Lin held that the continued detention of Ms. Majekodunmi by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could no longer be justified because there was no clear evidence that her deportation would happen in the foreseeable future.
Court documents showed that Ms. Majekodunmi fled Nigeria with her daughter in 2014 and sought asylum in the United States. She claimed she escaped pressure from her late husband’s family, including alleged attempts to force her into marrying her deceased husband’s younger brother and plans to subject her daughter to circumcision.
Although she was initially released into the U.S. while her immigration case was pending, her legal battles continued for years. An immigration judge had earlier terminated her deportation proceedings before the Department of Homeland Security reopened the matter through an appeal process.
According to filings reviewed in court, Ms. Majekodunmi later sought permanent residency through marriage to a U.S. citizen. However, immigration officials rejected the application after concluding the marriage was fraudulent and intended to secure immigration benefits.
In 2023, she was convicted in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud case and sentenced to 10 months imprisonment. Following the conviction, immigration authorities renewed efforts to remove her from the country, and a final deportation order was upheld in 2025.
Despite spending about nine months in detention after the removal order became active, the court found little evidence that U.S. authorities had taken concrete steps to deport her. Judge Lin noted there were no clear records showing communication with Nigerian officials, travel document arrangements, or a scheduled deportation plan.
The judge ruled that continued detention without progress toward removal violated legal standards established by the U.S. Supreme Court. She subsequently ordered immigration authorities to release Ms. Majekodunmi within 24 hours and directed officials to notify the court once the release had been completed.
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