U.S. Plans Deportation of Kilmar Ábrego García to Uganda Amid Legal Controversy

Following his release, Kilmar Ábrego García could be deported to Uganda due to his refusal to accept a plea agreement. His attorneys argue that the U.S. government's actions amount to coercion.

Once released from a Tennessee jail, Kilmar Ábrego García has learned from his lawyers that U.S. authorities may deport him to Uganda after he declined a plea deal related to human smuggling charges. His attorneys claim he rejected an offer to plead guilty in exchange for deportation to Costa Rica, a deal proposed after his imminent release.

García's legal team accuses the U.S. government of attempting to coerce him into a guilty plea by threatening to send him "halfway across the world" to a country with which he has no connection. Mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March, García was brought back to the U.S. to face these criminal charges.

The Costa Rican government showed willingness to accept him as a refugee, as detailed in a letter from a Costa Rican official, and the deal included that he would serve his sentence for smuggling charges before being deported. However, after being released from federal custody, García's attorneys were informed that the government planned to send him to Uganda instead.

The lawyers expressed concern that the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are using their influence to force García into a corner, threatening deportation to a location where his safety would be at serious risk. They stated that García has a deadline until Monday to either accept the plea deal or the offer to Costa Rica will be rescinded.

Currently in Maryland with family, García is scheduled to appear in a Baltimore immigration court on Monday, where a judge could potentially authorize his deportation soon thereafter. Documents obtained by the BBC indicate that the U.S. has established bilateral deportation agreements with countries like Honduras and Uganda as part of a broader immigration crackdown.

Ugandan foreign ministry officials, outlining the terms of their agreement, stated that individuals with criminal records and unaccompanied minors would not be welcomed for deportation. García's case has become emblematic of the immigration policies enacted during the Trump administration, having faced tumultuous processes that began with his deportation, an administrative error, and multiple changes in his legal status.