The US government is preparing to deport Kilmar Ábrego García to Liberia by October 31, 2023. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed this development on Friday. Ábrego García, a Salvadoran national who has lived in Maryland for over a decade, gained national attention earlier this year when he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, despite a court’s finding that he faced a “well-founded fear” of persecution in his home country.
His wrongful removal led to intervention from the US Supreme Court, which ordered the government to facilitate his return. After being repatriated in June 2023, officials sought alternative countries for his deportation since he is barred from returning to El Salvador. Countries such as Uganda, Eswatini, and Ghana were considered before settling on Liberia, which has agreed to accept him on a “strictly humanitarian and temporary basis.”
DHS praised Liberia as “a thriving democracy and one of the United States’ closest partners on the African continent,” emphasizing its commitment to the humane treatment of refugees and the fact that its national language is English. Yet, Ábrego García’s legal team argues that deporting him to a nation where he has no ties, far from his family in the United States, is punitive and unconstitutional.
In March 2023, Ábrego García and his family filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Maryland. They claimed that his deportation violated constitutional rights and previous court orders. Judge Paula Xinis described the deportation as “shocking the conscience,” stating there were no legal grounds for his arrest, detention, or removal.
Following the judge’s remarks, federal officials sought a stay on the deportation, but the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit denied the motion. The panel asserted that “the United States Government has no legal authority to snatch a person who is lawfully present in the United States off the street and remove him from the country without due process.”
As the legal battle continues, Ábrego García also faces federal human-smuggling charges in Tennessee. US District Judge Waverly Crenshaw indicated a “realistic likelihood” of vindictive prosecution by the federal government, further complicating the situation for Ábrego García and his legal representation.
The unfolding events surrounding Ábrego García’s deportation highlight broader issues within the US immigration system and the implications of federal policies on individuals facing precarious situations.
