Washington (BN24) – The United States government plans to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national whose case has become a flashpoint in the debate over President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, to Liberia as early as October 31, according to a new court filing from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Abrego Garcia’s case drew national attention after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador last year in violation of a federal settlement agreement. The U.S. Supreme Court later ordered the Trump administration to facilitate his return, and he was flown back to the United States in June. Because his earlier deportation to El Salvador was deemed unlawful, immigration authorities can no longer send him back there.
In the months since his return, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has unsuccessfully attempted to deport Abrego Garcia to several African countries, including Uganda, Eswatini, and Ghana. According to Friday’s DHS filing, Liberia has now agreed to accept him.
The government defended its decision, calling Liberia “a thriving democracy and one of the United States’ closest partners on the African continent.” The court document described Liberia as a nation with “robust protections for human rights,” an English-speaking population, and a constitution that guarantees the humane treatment of refugees. DHS said the agency could proceed with deportation “as soon as October 31.”
Abrego Garcia’s attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, condemned the decision, calling it “punitive, cruel, and unconstitutional.” In a statement, he said, “After failed attempts with Uganda, Eswatini, and Ghana, ICE now seeks to deport our client, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, to Liberia, a country with which he has no connection, thousands of miles from his family and home in Maryland. Costa Rica stands ready to accept him as a refugee — a viable and lawful option. Yet the government has chosen a course calculated to inflict maximum hardship.”
Abrego Garcia, who has an American wife and child and has lived in Maryland for years, first entered the U.S. illegally as a teenager. In 2019, an immigration judge granted him protection from deportation to El Salvador, citing a “well-founded fear” of gang violence against his family. He has since applied for asylum in a separate immigration proceeding.
A federal judge in Maryland has previously blocked Abrego Garcia’s immediate deportation while his lawsuit remains pending. That lawsuit accuses the Trump administration of using the deportation process to retaliate against him for the embarrassment caused by his earlier wrongful removal.
In addition to his immigration case, Abrego Garcia is also facing criminal charges in federal court in Tennessee, where prosecutors allege he was involved in human smuggling. He has pleaded not guilty and filed a motion to dismiss the charges, arguing that the prosecution is vindictive and politically motivated.
For now, his fate rests with both the Maryland court and immigration authorities. If the deportation proceeds, it would mark the latest chapter in a long and contentious legal battle that has drawn international attention to how the Trump administration handles deportation cases involving political sensitivities and human rights considerations.
