The Trump administration has informed Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s legal team that Eswatini — a small monarchy in southern Africa — is now his designated country of removal, according to a Friday letter from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The decision comes after Abrego Garcia claimed that deportation to more than 22 other countries, including Uganda, would put him at risk of persecution or torture. He argued that any such removal would violate international law.
Abrego Garcia’s lawyers say the move is unconstitutional, politically driven, and violates due process. They argue that deporting someone to a nation with which they have no personal or legal connection raises serious human rights concerns.
Writing for The Hill, Filip Timotija reports:
The push marks the administration’s latest effort to deport Abrego Garcia, whom Trump officials have accused of being a member of the notorious MS-13 gang. The Salvadorian national and his legal team have denied the allegations.
Abrego Garcia is currently being held at an immigration detention facility in Virginia.
In March 2025, the Trump administration deported Abrego Garcia to El Salvador — despite a standing 2019 court order barring his removal. After a series of legal battles, including a Supreme Court ruling requiring the administration to facilitate his return, he was eventually brought back to the United States.
He now faces criminal charges in Tennessee, which he denies. His legal team contends the charges are retaliatory and part of a broader effort to discredit him.
His case highlights a broader Trump-era strategy: using bilateral agreements to deport individuals to third-party countries such as Rwanda, Uganda, and Eswatini. These deals, while legal under U.S. immigration law, remain controversial.
Timotija continues:
Eswatini is one of the few African nations that have accepted migrants that the U.S. has deported in recent weeks. The administration sent five men, all of whom have criminal backgrounds and convictions, to the small nation in July.
Critics claim such transfers sidestep basic legal protections and put detainees at risk of detention abroad without access to legal representation.
Concerns are also mounting over what happens after deportation. Men previously removed to Eswatini were allegedly imprisoned in harsh conditions and denied adequate legal support, all while having no ties to the country. Human rights advocates warn the policy could amount to indirect refoulement, a violation of international norms.
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