US Moves to Deport Salvadoran National Kilmar Ábrego García to Eswatini

Tue Sep 23 2025 12:27:31 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Following a controversial immigration saga, the Trump administration plans to deport Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran man, to Eswatini instead of Uganda, amid allegations of his gang affiliations.

The Trump administration has updated its deportation plan for Kilmar Ábrego García, shifting from Uganda to Eswatini. García, mistakenly deported to El Salvador earlier this year, faces charges in the US but denies gang affiliations. His case highlights ongoing debates about US immigration policies and their implications for smaller nations like Eswatini, which has concerns over becoming a destination for US-deported criminals.

The Trump administration has revealed a plan to deport Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran man who has been at the center of an immigration row, to the southern African kingdom of Eswatini.

In an email to his lawyers obtained by the BBC's US partner CBS, an immigration officer said they were changing last month's decision to send him to Uganda. The officer noted that the change was made after Mr. Ábrego García raised fears of persecution in Uganda, despite the claims being described as hard to take seriously. Nevertheless, US authorities agreed not to send him there.

Mr. Ábrego García was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March and then brought back to face criminal charges. US officials acknowledged at the time that he was removed in error. In June, he was returned to the US, where he was detained and charged with human smuggling. He pleaded not guilty, and Trump officials claim he is a member of the notorious MS-13 gang, an accusation he also denies.

This deportation case has become a focal point in the administration's crackdown on immigration, with Mr. Ábrego García having no prior connection to Eswatini, which is now the fourth country suggested as a deportation destination for him.

Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is bordered by South Africa and Mozambique and is one of the last absolute monarchies in the world, led by King Mswati III since 1986. The US has already deported five individuals to Eswatini, branding them as criminal illegal aliens. This practice has generated concerns within the small nation about becoming a dumping ground for criminals.

While it remains unclear if Eswatini receives payments for this deportation deal with the US, the country is cautious, especially considering that the US is a major market for its sugar, its largest export. Analysts suggest that Eswatini may aim to protect this trade to avoid potential tariffs.

Mr. Ábrego García entered the US illegally as a teenager from El Salvador and was arrested in 2019 in Maryland along with three others, subsequently detained by federal immigration authorities.