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US government wants to deport Kilmar Ábrego García to Uganda

August 23, 2025

Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran national who was mistakenly deported and then returned to the US, now faces potential deportation to Uganda after declining a plea deal that would have sent him to Costa Rica. His attorneys claim the US government is attempting to coerce him into pleading guilty to human smuggling charges by threatening deportation to a country with which he has no ties. Released from federal custody, Ábrego García must decide by Monday whether to accept the plea deal or potentially be deported to Uganda under a bilateral agreement between the US and Uganda.

Who is affected

  • Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran national
  • Ábrego García's family in Maryland
  • The Costa Rican government, which agreed to accept him as a refugee
  • Uganda, which has a bilateral deportation agreement with the US

What action is being taken

  • US authorities are threatening to deport Ábrego García to Uganda following his release
  • Ábrego García's lawyers are filing legal challenges against what they call coercive tactics
  • The US government is offering a plea deal that would allow deportation to Costa Rica instead of Uganda
  • Ábrego García has been released from federal custody and is currently with his family in Maryland
  • A Baltimore immigration court hearing is scheduled for Monday to determine his deportation status

Why it matters

  • The case highlights potential government coercion in immigration proceedings through threats of deportation to countries with no connection to the individual
  • It demonstrates how bilateral deportation agreements with countries like Uganda are being implemented
  • The situation exposes flaws in the immigration system after Ábrego García was initially deported due to an "administrative error"
  • The case has become a prominent example of the Trump administration's immigration policies
  • It raises questions about the use of deportation as leverage in criminal plea negotiations

What's next

  • Ábrego García must decide by Monday morning whether to accept the plea deal or face potential deportation to Uganda
  • He is scheduled to appear in a Baltimore immigration court on Monday
  • If a judge approves the government's request, he could be deported within days

Read full article from source: BBC