US authorities are set to deport Kilmar Ábrego García to Uganda, a country to which he has no established ties, just 24 hours after his release from custody. His legal team disclosed that they were informed of the potential deportation following Mr. Ábrego García's refusal to accept a plea deal concerning human smuggling accusations.
Originally from El Salvador, he was deported in March under the Trump administration and later returned to the US on criminal charges. The plea deal proposed that he plead guilty to human smuggling in exchange for deportation to Costa Rica, which had agreed to grant him refugee status. However, after his release from a Tennessee jail, officials indicated that the new plan was to deport him to Uganda, which raised alarm among his attorneys.
In their legal documents, Mr. Ábrego García's lawyers assert that the intimidation tactic wielded by the departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement is forcing him to choose between a guilty plea, which would offer him some safety, or face deportation to Uganda where his safety is at significant risk. This situation has garnered attention as a clear manifestation of the immigration crackdowns enforced by the previous administration.
As of now, Mr. Ábrego García has recently reunited with his family in Maryland and is set to appear in Baltimore court on Monday. If the court grants the government's request, deportation could happen swiftly. The US has established bilateral deportation agreements with countries including Uganda as a means to tighten immigration controls. However, Ugandan officials have made it clear that their preference is for the deportation of individuals with criminal histories from African nations, thereby complicating the situation further for Mr. Ábrego García.
In previous proceedings, he has pleaded not guilty to the human smuggling allegations, marking his case as a lingering issue from the administration's aggressive stance on immigration and deportation policies.
