The controversial policy allowing the transfer of undocumented foreign nationals from the United States to third countries has sparked legal action. Thirty-six African migrants expelled from the US to Cameroon in 2026 have filed a lawsuit in Yaoundé seeking legal protection and the suspension of Washington’s migration agreement, according to their lawyer, Me Joseph Fru Awah.

The lawsuit filed with the Yaoundé administrative court demands the suspension of the US-Cameroon migration accord, enabling the 36 deportees to seek legal protection and residency status in Cameroon.

The primary goal is to prevent their deportation back to their countries of origin, Me Joseph Fru Awah explained in a statement. “Cameroon cannot be used as a transit hub to send individuals back to persecution or torture,” the lawyer declared.

Millions in funding and coercive tactics

Hailing from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ghana, Angola, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe, and Morocco, these 36 individuals had previously secured US court protection against deportation to their home countries. Yet between January and May 2026, they were expelled to Cameroon, where they now face potential deportation back to their countries of origin.

Since arriving in Yaoundé, they reside in a center managed by Cameroonian authorities in coordination with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). However, they remain “without valid identification documents or clear legal status” and face “travel restrictions”, according to Me Joseph Fru Awah.