US frees African asylum-seeker who’s on life support

COLTON, Calif. (AP) — U.S. immigration authorities have freed an asylum-seeker from Senegal who’s on life support in California after a reported suicide attempt.

In an unusual twist, the immigration attorney for 33-year-old Saliou Ndiaye (SAH-lee-oo n-JEYE) is fighting the move.

Ndiaye has no nearby relatives and lawyer Carrye Washington wants the U.S. government to take him back into custody and oversee his medical care.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says Ndiaye was freed for humanitarian reasons.

The case raises questions about the impact of the U.S. government’s decision to cut ties with someone in Ndiaye’s condition.

Ndiaye arrived at the U.S. border seeking asylum last year and was detained at a facility in Southern California. He lost his case in immigration court and was ordered deported.