DHS Orders Deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Tiny African Nation
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has informed Kilmar Abrego Garcia — a high-profile undocumented immigrant facing human smuggling charges — that he will be deported to Eswatini, a small nation in southern Africa. The decision follows claims by Abrego Garcia’s attorneys that he feared persecution in more than 20 countries.
According to a removal notice obtained by Fox News through Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sources, Abrego Garcia was originally designated for deportation to Uganda. However, his attorneys notified authorities that he feared torture or persecution there.
The DHS notice reads:
“Dear Mr. Abrego Garcia, As you know, the United States seeks to remove you from the United States based on your final order of removal. Currently, you are designated to be removed to Uganda. Your attorney has informed us, however, that you fear persecution or torture in Uganda.”
Officials expressed skepticism over the extent of his claims, noting that Abrego Garcia reportedly cited fear of persecution in at least 22 countries — including El Salvador, Uganda, and 20 Latin American nations.
“Nonetheless, we hereby notify you that your new country of removal is Eswatini, Africa,” the letter states.
The DHS shared a copy of the notice on its official X (formerly Twitter) account with a caption that read: “Homie is afraid of the entire western hemisphere.”
Abrego Garcia, a native of El Salvador, was deported in March but re-entered the U.S. in June. He is currently standing trial for human smuggling in connection with a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee, during which he was allegedly found transporting multiple undocumented immigrants across state lines.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has accused Abrego Garcia of being affiliated with the MS-13 gang and labeled him a “human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, and child predator.”
He is currently detained at an immigration facility in Virginia after U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis — appointed during the Obama administration — temporarily blocked his removal to Uganda.
Abrego Garcia has since become a focal point for immigrant-rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers, who argue that his case highlights what they describe as the Trump administration’s disregard for due process in immigration proceedings.
Chris Newman, an attorney representing Abrego Garcia’s family, firmly denied the government’s claims.
“None of those things are true, full stop,” Newman told Fox News Digital, accusing the administration of politicizing the legal system. “In essence, what the Trump administration has done is to use the highest office in the land to blackmail an innocent man into sacrificing his constitutional rights.”
According to a POLITICO report, Abrego’s attorneys filed court documents over the weekend stating that the Justice Department had offered a plea deal: if Abrego pleaded guilty to two felony charges, he would serve his sentence and then be deported to Costa Rica — a country that reportedly agreed to grant him refugee or residency status and not return him to El Salvador.
After rejecting the plea deal, ICE officials notified his legal team that the government would instead proceed with deportation to Uganda, although the Costa Rica option would remain available if he accepted the plea by Monday.
“There can be only one interpretation of these events: the DOJ, DHS, and ICE are using their collective powers to force Mr. Abrego to choose between a guilty plea followed by relative safety, or rendition to Uganda, where his safety and liberty would be under threat,” wrote attorney Sean Hecker in court filings, per POLITICO.
The filing came just one day after Abrego’s release from a Tennessee jail, where he had been held since his re-entry into the U.S. earlier this summer.
