U.S. to Deport Salvadoran Father Kilmar Ábrego García to Uganda After He Rejects Costa Rica Plea Deal
U.S. immigration officials plan to deport Salvadoran father Kilmar Ábrego García to Uganda after he declined a plea agreement sending him to Costa Rica. The move follows his wrongful deportation to El Salvador and ongoing legal battles over due process and family rights.
U.S. Moves to Deport Salvadoran Father to Uganda After He Declined Plea Deal
(Nashville and Baltimore, August 23, 2025) — In a development that has intensified scrutiny of U.S. immigration enforcement strategies, federal authorities have announced plans to deport Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran national, not to his home country but to Uganda—a decision that follows his rejection of a plea deal involving deportation to Costa Rica.
Backstory: Wrongful Deportation and Court Battles
Kilmar Ábrego García, 30, initially fled El Salvador around 2011 as a teenager, seeking refuge from pervasive gang-related threats in his homeland. In 2019, a U.S. immigration judge granted him withholding of removal, recognizing the credible danger he faced upon return to El Salvador, thereby allowing him to remain and work legally in Maryland under conditional status .
Despite this protection, in March 2025 he was erroneously deported and detained at El Salvador’s notorious high-security CECOT prison. After his legal team and advocacy groups mounted a vigorous response—including litigation and public pressure—federal courts ordered his return. The U.S. Supreme Court issued a mandate directing the government to “facilitate” his reinstatement in the U.S., rejecting arguments that the administration lacked jurisdiction . Abrego García was eventually returned to the U.S. in June.
Criminal Charges and Plea Offer
Upon his return, authorities detained him in Tennessee on human smuggling charges connected to a 2022 traffic stop involving nine passengers, though he was initially only warned and allowed to continue driving . He pleaded not guilty and contends that the prosecution is vindictive, initiated in retaliation for challenging his prior deportation .
Late Thursday, as his release from jail became imminent, officials extended a plea agreement: if he agreed to plead guilty and remain incarcerated, he would be deported to Costa Rica, a Spanish-speaking nation. He declined to stay in jail and rejected the agreement .
Deportation to Uganda Proposed
Immediately after his release from the Tennessee jail on Friday, and while he was reunited with his family in Maryland under strict home confinement and GPS monitoring, DHS informed his attorneys that he would instead be deported to Uganda and ordered to report to ICE’s Baltimore office on Monday .
This move rests on a temporary arrangement between Uganda and the U.S., in which Uganda agreed to accept certain deportees from the U.S.—excluding those with criminal records or unaccompanied minors—and with preference for African nationals .
Legal Protections and Pushback
A recent Maryland court ruling mandates that ICE must provide a 72-hour advance notice prior to deportation—excluding weekends—so that deportees can prepare their legal defense . Abrego García’s attorneys are expected to challenge the Uganda deportation plan, citing that requirement and the potentially prejudicial motivations behind it .
His legal team and advocates argue that this deportation threat—following his legal victory—reflects punitive and extrajudicial measures embedded in the administration’s immigration agenda .
Political Reactions
The case has drawn fierce criticism from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who slammed the court’s decision to release him, labeling Abrego García a “monster” and accusing “activist liberal judges” of jeopardizing public safety . Conversely, supporters and Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D–Maryland), have hailed the judicial system’s intervention as a stand for due process and civil rights .
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Tags:
- Kilmar Ábrego García
- Deportation to Uganda
- Human smuggling case
- Wrongful deportation
- U.S. immigration policy
- 72-hour notice ruling
- Due process rights
- Trump administration immigration
- Costa Rica plea deal
- ICE Baltimore office
