Following his recent release, US officials have alerted Kilmar Ábrego García that he might be deported to Uganda, a move that comes after he turned down a plea deal in his ongoing criminal case, according to his legal team.
His attorneys assert that Ábrego García rejected an offer to admit guilt to human smuggling charges in return for deportation to Costa Rica, a proposition presented when it became apparent he would soon be liberated from custody.
The legal representatives accuse the US government of attempting to "coerce" their client into pleading guilty by threatening to transfer him "halfway across the world" to Uganda, a nation with which he has no connections. Ábrego García, hailing from El Salvador, was mistakenly sent back to El Salvador in March but was later returned to the US to confront criminal allegations.
The offer for deportation to Costa Rica arose last Thursday, coinciding with indications that Ábrego García would be released from a Tennessee detention facility. The Costa Rican government has consented to accept him as a refugee and grant him legal status, as indicated in a formal correspondence from a Costa Rican official included in the legal documents.
His departure to Costa Rica would be contingent upon serving his sentence connected to the smuggling charges, as specified in the court filing. Following his release from federal custody, Ábrego García’s lawyers reported that the government had revealed intentions to deport him to Uganda, amplifying fears regarding his safety in a country with which he is unfamiliar.
In a legal filing, his attorneys stated, "The DOJ, DHS, and ICE are wielding their combined authority to pressure Mr. Ábrego to either accept a guilty plea for relative safety or face transfer to Uganda, where his wellbeing and freedom would be in jeopardy." They mentioned that Ábrego García must decide by Monday morning whether to plead guilty in exchange for deportation to Costa Rica, noting that missing the deadline would forfeit the government’s offer.
Now residing in Maryland with family, Ábrego García is set to appear in Baltimore immigration court on Monday. Should a judge validate the government's request, his deportation may occur swiftly.
In compliance with its crackdown on illegal immigration, the US has established deportation agreements with countries like Honduras and Uganda, as uncovered through documents obtained by BBC's US affiliate, CBS. Bagiire Vincent Waiswa, a permanent secretary for the Ugandan foreign ministry, stated in a statement, "This is a temporary arrangement with conditions including that individuals with criminal records and unaccompanied minors will not be accepted." He added that Uganda prefers to accept individuals from other African countries.
Ábrego García's fight against deportation has gained prominence amid the Trump administration's immigration policies. After being deported to El Salvador earlier in March and placed in the notorious Cecot prison, US officials later recognized it was due to an "administrative error," resulting in a judge ordering his return to the US. He was sent back in early June, faced charges regarding a human smuggling operation in Tennessee, and has pleaded not guilty. Despite a federal judge ruling his eligibility for release in late June, Ábrego García remained incarcerated due to concerns raised by his legal team regarding possible immediate deportation if he was released.
