US Plans to Deport Immigrant to Eswatini Triggers Controversy

Mon Oct 20 2025 23:09:47 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran national, faces deportation to Eswatini as part of a contentious immigration policy shift by the Trump administration.

Kilmar Ábrego García, who was previously deported and returned to the US, is now facing a new plan for deportation to Eswatini. This decision raises questions about the legality and fairness of such actions, especially considering Mr. Ábrego García's claim of persecution in previous deportation options. His case reflects broader immigration tensions in the current administration.

The Trump administration has revealed a plan to deport Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran man who has been at the center of an immigration debate, to the southern African kingdom of Eswatini. In an email to his lawyers, an immigration officer stated that they are changing last month's decision to send him to Uganda.

This adjustment came after Mr. Ábrego García expressed fears of persecution in Uganda, although the officer noted that while the claims were hard to take seriously, they would not send him there.

In March, Mr. Ábrego García was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, only to return to face criminal charges in the US. Officials acknowledged the error at that time. In June, he was returned to the US, where he was detained on charges related to human smuggling, to which he pleaded not guilty.

Trump officials have labelled him a member of the MS-13 gang, an accusation he vehemently denies. His deportation case has become a focal point in the administration's immigration crackdown. Notably, Mr. Ábrego García has no ties to Eswatini, which is now the fourth country designated as a potential deportation destination for him.

Formerly known as Swaziland, Eswatini is surrounded by South Africa and Mozambique, and is one of the last absolute monarchies, ruled by King Mswati III since 1986. The US has already deported five individuals there, referred to as criminal illegal aliens, raising concerns that Eswatini may become a dumping ground for criminals.

Eswatini has not confirmed whether it receives payments under a deportation deal with the Trump administration. The US is known as a major market for the country's largest export, sugar, and analysts suggest the arrangement may be influenced by trade considerations to avoid tariffs.

Mr. Ábrego García, who illegally entered the US from El Salvador as a teenager, was arrested in 2019 alongside three other men in Maryland and was subsequently detained by immigration authorities.

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