Deportation of MS-13 Member to Eswatini
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, identified as an MS-13 gang member, was informed by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that he is set to be deported to Eswatini, Africa, on Friday afternoon.
This decision is part of an ongoing deportation plan that has lingered since US District Judge Paula Sinis, appointed during the Obama administration, mandated his continued detention in the US until further evidence hearings occur. Initially, the Trump administration aimed to deport Abrego Garcia to Uganda but later adapted its approach. An email from ICE to his legal representatives suggested this change was motivated by concerns regarding the possibility of persecution or torture he might face in Uganda.
The email detailed that despite efforts to remove him, Abrego Garcia has expressed fears about being persecuted in over twenty different countries. The message reads, “You know, the US is trying to remove you from the US based on a final removal order,” adding, “But your lawyer has informed us that you are afraid of persecution and torture in Uganda.”
Abrego Garcia holds connections to multiple nations, including El Salvador, Mexico, and several others across Central and South America.
The communication concluded with the announcement: “Notwithstanding, we hereby inform you that your new removal country is Eswatini in Africa.”
After being deported to a high-security prison in El Salvador by the Trump administration, there have been calls from Democrats urging for his return to the US by June.
Following his release from a Tennessee prison on August 22, he was once again taken into custody by federal immigration authorities just days later. Although there were attempts to send him either to Africa or Central America, Judge Sinis intervened, temporarily halting his deportation.
Legal representatives indicated that the Trump administration had previously offered him a plea deal on human smuggling charges, permitting him to be deported to Costa Rica post-sentencing, or face deportation to Uganda instead.
