— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told attorneys it intends to remove Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the African kingdom of Eswatini after he said he fears being sent to Uganda; the decision follows a March mistaken deportation to El Salvador and subsequent legal fights after he was returned to the United States in June.
Key Takeaways
- ICE notified Abrego Garcia’s lawyers that Eswatini is the new country of removal.
- Abrego Garcia has said he fears deportation to Uganda and nearly two dozen other countries, according to court filings.
- He was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March 2025 despite a 2019 order barring removal to that country.
- The government returned him to the U.S. in June 2025 and has since charged him with human smuggling related to a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop.
- Abrego Garcia is married to a U.S. citizen and has a U.S. child; he has applied for asylum in the United States.
- Eswatini officials told The Associated Press they had not received formal notice of a transfer as of the report.
Verified Facts
ICE attorneys wrote in a letter to the immigrant’s legal team that they plan to remove Abrego Garcia to Eswatini. The letter — first reported by Fox News and provided to counsel — questioned the credibility of his stated fear of persecution in Uganda and other countries but nevertheless named Eswatini as the destination country of removal.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national, entered the United States around 2011 as a teenager. An immigration judge in 2019 found he had a credible fear of gang threats in El Salvador and issued an order barring deportation to that country. In March 2025 he was nonetheless deported to El Salvador; U.S. officials later characterized that removal as an administrative error.
After his March removal, Abrego Garcia was held in El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center. Facing court pressure, U.S. authorities returned him to the United States in June 2025. Upon return, he was charged in a federal case with human smuggling stemming from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee; that criminal matter is pending.
Context & Impact
The case has emerged as a flashpoint in the broader debate over the Trump administration’s immigration policies and enforcement practices. Critics say the March 2025 deportation despite a 2019 order shows procedural failures; supporters of strict enforcement highlight the government’s authority to remove noncitizens with criminal allegations or multiple immigration violations.
Abrego Garcia’s attorneys argue he is now eligible for asylum because he re-entered the United States after deportation. The 2019 denial of asylum was based on a procedural bar — his earlier request was filed more than one year after arrival — a factor his lawyers say no longer applies given his recent return and legal developments.
- Possible effects: renewed legal challenges over the 2019 removal bar and whether reopening his immigration case would nullify protections against deportation to El Salvador.
- Diplomatic angle: Eswatini officials said they had not been formally notified, raising questions about coordination with the receiving state.
“Your claim that you fear persecution in at least 22 different countries is hard to take seriously… Nonetheless, we hereby notify you that your new country of removal is Eswatini.”
Excerpt from ICE letter to Abrego Garcia’s attorneys (reported by media)
Official Statements
Eswatini government spokesperson said the country had not received official communication regarding any planned transfer.
Eswatini government spokesman, statement to The Associated Press
Unconfirmed
- Whether Eswatini has received any confidential diplomatic notice after the AP report remains unverified.
- The credibility assessment of Abrego Garcia’s fears about Uganda and other countries is contested and ultimately for an immigration judge or court to resolve.
Bottom Line
The ICE notice naming Eswatini as the country of removal moves the long-running case into a new phase and is likely to trigger further legal challenges. Key questions remain about whether immigration court proceedings will reopen, whether the 2019 protection against removal to El Salvador will be vacated, and how Eswatini will respond to any formal transfer request.