DHS moves to DEPORT Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda
08/26/2025 / By Ramon Tomey
- Salvadoran national Kilmar Abrego Garcia, previously released from federal custody on human smuggling charges, is now facing expedited removal to Uganda under a U.S.-Uganda repatriation agreement unless he reports to ICE by a strict deadline.
- Garcia was initially deported under Trump’s Alien Enemies Act due to suspected gang ties, but Democrats (including Sen. Chris Van Hollen) fought for his return, framing him as a victim of harsh immigration policies.
- DHS officials slammed “activist liberal judges” for releasing Garcia, calling him a “monster” who exploited weak deportation policies, while critics blame the Biden administration for originally allowing him in despite his criminal history.
- Garcia’s defense team argues ICE’s sudden shift to deporting him to Uganda (rather than Spanish-speaking Costa Rica, per an earlier plea deal) is politically motivated, citing Uganda’s poor human rights record and lack of linguistic and cultural ties.
- The case reignites concerns over border enforcement failures, noting parallels to crimes like the 2023 murder of a Maryland mother by another Salvadoran national (Victor Martinez Hernandez), highlighting systemic issues with revolving-door deportations and lax vetting.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has moved to deport Salvadoran national Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the east African country of Uganda.
According to internal DHS documents obtained by Fox News, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) informed Abrego Garcia’s legal team late Friday, Aug. 22, that he must report to a Baltimore field office by the morning of Monday, Aug. 25. If he fails to do so, Abrego Garcia faces expedited removal to Uganda under a recent repatriation agreement between Kampala and Washington.
The move comes just days after Abrego Garcia was released from federal custody in Tennessee, where he had been held since June on human smuggling charges. Prosecutors allege he made hundreds of trips ferrying illegal aliens across the southern border before being caught in a 2022 traffic stop.
The case has been a lightning rod since March, when Abrego Garcia – previously granted protected status over fears of gang retaliation in his home country of El Salvador – was abruptly deported under President Donald Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. “Abrego Garcia was initially deported to El Salvador due to illegal immigration violations and likely ties to gang activity” Brighteon.AI‘s Enoch explains.
Democrats including Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen rallied behind Abrego Garcia, demanding his return to the United States. They framed him as a symbol of opposition to the second Trump administration’s deportation efforts. (Related: Maryland senator’s El Salvador trip sparks outrage as state grapples with gang violence and fiscal crisis.)
Homeland Security Secretary blasted the judicial system following his release from custody Friday, calling the Salvadoran a “monster” freed by “activist liberal judges.” She remarked: “We will not stop fighting till this Salvadoran man faces justice and is out of our country.”
From Costa Rica to Uganda: ICE’s eleventh-hour policy switch
Abrego Garcia’s case has reignited debates over border security, human trafficking and the politicization of deportation policies. Critics questioning why the Biden administration’s DHS under former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas initially allowed Abrego Garcia into the U.S. despite his criminal history.
Court filings reveal Abrego Garcia was offered a plea deal Thursday, Aug. 21, that involved deportation to Costa Rica – a Spanish-speaking nation that confirmed it would accept him – in exchange for a guilty plea. But ICE abruptly shifted course hours after his release, notifying attorneys of the Uganda plan. His defense team argues the prosecution is retaliatory, citing past rulings that blocked his expulsion to El Salvador over legitimate safety concerns.
Abrego Garcia’s counsel Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg said on Saturday, Aug. 23, that the Trump administration is trying to use the immigration system to persecute his client. The attorney also rebuked the idea of sending Abrego Garcia to Uganda, “a country with documented human rights abuses and where he does not even speak the language.”
Historical context sharpens the stakes: Abrego Garcia’s case mirrors similar controversies, including the August 2023 murder of a Maryland mother by another Salvadoran national, Victor Antonio Martinez Hernandez – a crime Mayorkas denied agency responsibility for. Critics say lax enforcement and revolving-door deportations empower violent actors.
The conclusion remains uncertain: Abrego Garcia’s attorneys have 72 hours to contest his removal under a Maryland court order. For now, his fate hinges on whether the courts or the political winds will have the final say.
Visit BorderSecurity.news for more similar stories.
Watch DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin reiterating that Kilmar Abrego Garcia will face justice in the U.S. before being deported.
This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.
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Tagged Under:
Alien Enemies Act, big goverment, border security, Costa Rica, Department of Homeland Security, El Salvador, Illegal aliens, illegal immigrants, illegal immigration, invasion usa, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, migrant deportations, migrants, national security, Open Borders, Uganda
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