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Uganda could soon receive the first deportee from the United States following a recent deportation deal struck between the two countries.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the father of three who was recently and wrongfully deported to a high-security prison in El Salvador, is now facing the unprecedented deportation to Uganda.
Less than 24 hours after being released on parole from federal custody and reunited with his family in Maryland, Abrego was notified by immigration authorities that he "may be removed to Uganda no less than 72 hours absent weekends."
Abrego, who pleaded not guilty to human smuggling charges, was originally brought to the U.S. at the age of 16 to escape gang violence in his native El Salvador, a fact his lawyers have used to repeatedly refute claims from the White House that he is a member of the violent MS-13 gang.
A 'Preposterous' Threat and a Plea Deal
The news of the potential deportation to Uganda has been met with outrage from Abrego’s legal team.
Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, one of his attorneys, vowed to "fight tooth and nail" against the move, labelling it "preposterous" to send his client to a country where he neither speaks the language nor has any ties.
The deportation threat has been framed by his lawyers as a coercive tactic by the Trump administration to force Abrego into accepting a plea deal. The government had offered to deport him to Costa Rica, a Spanish-speaking country where his family could visit him easily, in exchange for a guilty plea to the criminal charges against him.
In a court filing, another of Abrego’s attorneys, Sean Hecker, wrote that the government was "using their collective powers to force Mr Abrego to choose between a guilty plea followed by relative safety, or rendition to Uganda, where his safety and liberty would be under threat.”
Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Uganda’s Controversial Deportation Agreement
Abrego’s case comes just as Uganda has formalised a controversial deportation deal with the United States.
In a statement, Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed a “temporary arrangement” to accept third-country nationals who are facing deportation from the US but are unwilling to return to their home countries.
The agreement comes with certain caveats, including a preference for receiving Africans and a refusal to accept individuals with criminal records or unaccompanied minors.
The deal's announcement followed weeks of speculation and a confusing narrative flip from Uganda's Foreign Affairs Minister, who initially denied the reports.
The agreement is widely seen as a strategic move by Uganda to secure better trade terms with the U.S. and is believed to be in exchange for lower tariffs on key exports like coffee and cocoa beans, which have been impacted by President Trump’s reciprocal tariff wars.