José Yugar-Cruz, a Bolivian asylum seeker, was held in a county jail in Muscatine, Iowa for 17 months despite never being charged with a crime, according to immigration monitors. Yugar-Cruz entered the United States legally at the Arizona border in July 2024, voluntarily approached authorities, and requested asylum.

Six months after his arrival, a U.S. immigration judge determined that Yugar-Cruz had been tortured in Bolivia and would likely face torture again if returned to his home country. The judge barred his removal to Bolivia, and the government did not appeal the decision.

Despite the favorable ruling, Yugar-Cruz remained in detention for nearly a year longer. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spent months attempting to find a third country willing to accept him, according to the reports. These efforts were unsuccessful.

Yugar-Cruz was finally released in December 2025. His case highlights concerns about prolonged detention of asylum seekers even after courts have ruled against their deportation to countries of origin.

Immigration monitors estimate that approximately 17,500 people have been sent to third countries during deportation proceedings, though specific timeframes and verification of this figure were not provided in available reports.