White House pauses removal of detainees to DRC as Ebola outbreak widens

Two children of an American Ebola patient look through a window at their father in the isolation ward at a hospital in Berlin, Germany, on 21 May 2026. Photograph: Charite/Reuters

The Trump administration will temporarily pause the removal of refugees to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during a spiraling Ebola outbreak, according to reporting by Politico, but experts say the move won’t help prevent the spread of the disease.

At least one woman is now in limbo after officials moved her to Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, and now say they won’t bring her back because of the Ebola travel ban – despite a judge’s order for her return.