In a significant turn of events, Kilmar Ábrego García, recently released from a Tennessee jail, has been informed by US authorities of an impending deportation to Uganda. This action follows Mr. García's refusal to accept a plea deal which would have allowed him to plead guilty to human smuggling charges in exchange for deportation to Costa Rica, a proposal made after his release was imminent.
García’s legal team has accused the US government of attempting to coerce him into accepting a plea by threatening to send him “halfway across the world” to Uganda, a country with which he has no connections. The Salvadoran national was mistakenly deported to El Salvador back in March, only to be brought back to the US to face the criminal charges.
The Costa Rican government had agreed to accept Mr. Ábrego García as a refugee, permitting him legal status after serving his smuggling-related sentence. However, after his recent release from custody, it was revealed that the government intends to deport him to Uganda instead, heightening fears for his safety and liberty. According to his lawyers, he has been given until Monday morning to accept the plea deal for deportation to Costa Rica, or lose this opportunity altogether.
Currently residing in Maryland with family, Mr. Ábrego García is set to appear in a Baltimore immigration court on Monday. Should the court approve the government's intention, the deportation could occur swiftly. The US's recent bilateral deportation agreements with countries like Honduras and Uganda are part of broader efforts to manage illegal immigration.
According to Ugandan official Bagiire Vincent Waiswa, their country prefers to accept only those individuals from African nations under these arrangements. The deportation case of Kilmar Ábrego García has become emblematic of the Trump administration's hardline stance on immigration issues, following his earlier undocumented deportation and detention in a notorious prison in El Salvador. His ongoing legal disputes continue as he maintains his not guilty plea in the human smuggling case.
García’s legal team has accused the US government of attempting to coerce him into accepting a plea by threatening to send him “halfway across the world” to Uganda, a country with which he has no connections. The Salvadoran national was mistakenly deported to El Salvador back in March, only to be brought back to the US to face the criminal charges.
The Costa Rican government had agreed to accept Mr. Ábrego García as a refugee, permitting him legal status after serving his smuggling-related sentence. However, after his recent release from custody, it was revealed that the government intends to deport him to Uganda instead, heightening fears for his safety and liberty. According to his lawyers, he has been given until Monday morning to accept the plea deal for deportation to Costa Rica, or lose this opportunity altogether.
Currently residing in Maryland with family, Mr. Ábrego García is set to appear in a Baltimore immigration court on Monday. Should the court approve the government's intention, the deportation could occur swiftly. The US's recent bilateral deportation agreements with countries like Honduras and Uganda are part of broader efforts to manage illegal immigration.
According to Ugandan official Bagiire Vincent Waiswa, their country prefers to accept only those individuals from African nations under these arrangements. The deportation case of Kilmar Ábrego García has become emblematic of the Trump administration's hardline stance on immigration issues, following his earlier undocumented deportation and detention in a notorious prison in El Salvador. His ongoing legal disputes continue as he maintains his not guilty plea in the human smuggling case.
