The Trump administration is considering deporting Kilmar Abrego García, a native of El Salvador, to Uganda following his release from criminal custody in Tennessee, according to a notice from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) obtained by CBS News on Saturday. Abrego, accused of human trafficking in the United States, was mistakenly deported to El Salvador earlier this year, where he spent months in a local prison before being returned to U.S. soil.
A judge recently granted him bail while awaiting trial set for January. However, just hours after his release, his legal team received notification about a potential deportation to Uganda, with a 72-hour window to execute the order. This situation arises after Uganda agreed to a deal with Washington to accept deportees who are not their citizens, becoming the latest "third country" to engage in these migration policies pushed by the Trump administration.
Abrego's attorneys disclosed that the U.S. government had previously offered him an alternative arrangement to relocate to Costa Rica as a refugee after serving his sentence. Upon rejecting this offer, ICE informed him of the possibility of being sent to Uganda, a move his defenders describe as coercion and "political retaliation" against their client.
"There can only be one interpretation of these facts: the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are using their collective powers to force Mr. Abrego to choose between pleading guilty with relative safety or facing deportation to Uganda, where his security and freedom would be at risk," his lawyers wrote in a document filed this Saturday.
In 2019, an immigration judge ruled that Abrego could not be deported to El Salvador due to the threat of persecution by gangs, although he was sent there months later due to what the government described as an "administrative error." Now, the potential deportation to a country with which he has no connections heightens criticism of this policy of expulsions to third countries.
Abrego plans to return to Maryland, where he lived with his family, while his attorneys argue that the process violates his rights and endangers his personal safety.
Understanding the Complexities of Deportation Policies
Why is Kilmar Abrego García facing deportation to Uganda?
Abrego is facing possible deportation to Uganda due to an agreement between Uganda and the U.S. to accept deportees who are not Ugandan citizens. This development comes after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador earlier this year.
What legal actions are being taken on behalf of Abrego?
Abrego’s legal team is challenging the deportation, arguing that the U.S. government is exerting undue pressure and violating his rights to force him into accepting a guilty plea or face deportation to a country where his safety is uncertain.
What was the previous alternative offered to Abrego by the U.S. government?
The U.S. government had offered Abrego the option to relocate to Costa Rica as a refugee after serving his sentence. However, this offer was rejected, leading to the current deportation proceedings.