The Trump administration has formally notified Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident, that they intend to deport him to the small African nation of Eswatini. This decision comes as Garcia continues to contest his deportation. An email from an official at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which was obtained by CNN, outlined that due to Garcia's concerns regarding deportation to several other countries, the administration has opted to send him to Eswatini instead.
Initially, the Department of Homeland Security had planned to deport Abrego Garcia to Uganda. However, he objected to this removal, expressing fears of persecution and torture in that country. The ICE email highlighted the skepticism surrounding his claims, stating, “That claim of fear is hard to take seriously, especially given that you have claimed (through your attorneys) that you fear persecution or torture in at least 22 different countries.” The countries mentioned included his home country, El Salvador, where he had previously spent weeks in a notorious mega prison after a mistaken deportation.
An ICE official confirmed to CNN that the deportation to Eswatini will proceed, stating, “TRUE: An immigration judge ordered him removed and ICE will comply with that order.” Currently, Abrego Garcia is in ICE custody after being brought back to the United States to face human smuggling charges. The administration is pushing for a swift deportation, even before his trial has concluded.
Last week, a federal judge overseeing Abrego Garcia’s case ruled that he cannot be deported until at least early October. This ruling comes as Trump administration officials are expected to testify about ongoing efforts to re-deport him. Garcia has expressed a preference for being sent to Costa Rica, a country willing to offer him some form of legal status if he is deported there. His lawyers informed the judge that the administration previously proposed a deal to deport him to Costa Rica in exchange for a guilty plea. However, Garcia did not accept this offer, according to sources familiar with the case.
Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is situated in Southeast Africa and is approximately the size of New Jersey. The nation is governed by a monarch with absolute power and is one of four African countries that have made agreements with the Trump administration to accept foreign deportees, alongside Rwanda, South Sudan, and Uganda.
In addition to his deportation case, Abrego Garcia is actively seeking to renew his bid for asylum, a process that will unfold before an immigration judge within the Department of Justice. As the situation evolves, the legal complexities surrounding his case continue to draw attention from various media outlets, including CNN, which contributed to this report.
