US immigration authorities have announced their intention to deport Kilmar Ábrego García to Uganda, after he declined a previous offer to be sent to Costa Rica in exchange for remaining in custody and pleading guilty to human smuggling charges, according to a court filing submitted on Saturday.

The Costa Rica proposal was extended late Thursday, after it became clear that Ábrego would likely be released from a Tennessee detention facility the following day.

Ábrego chose not to extend his incarceration and was released on Friday to await trial in Maryland, where he will remain with his family. Later that same day, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) informed his legal team that he would be deported to Uganda and was required to report to immigration authorities on Monday.

Official records posted online indicate that DHS told Ábrego’s attorneys Friday afternoon that “DHS may remove your client … to Uganda no earlier than 72 hours from now (absent weekends).” Immigration and Customs Enforcement also instructed Ábrego to report to its Baltimore office on Monday, according to the same documents.

Background and prior deportation

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Ábrego, who entered the US without authorization in 2011 as a teenager fleeing gang violence, had previously been granted federal protection against deportation to El Salvador. The 30-year-old was initially deported in March, in what the Trump administration later admitted was an “administrative error.”

Federal officials have repeatedly alleged that Ábrego has ties to the MS-13 gang, claims he and his family strongly deny. During his detention at El Salvador’s so-called Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot), court filings in July reported that Ábrego suffered physical and psychological abuse.

Following his wrongful deportation, the Trump administration faced significant pressure to return Ábrego to the US, including a Supreme Court order directing federal authorities to “facilitate” his return. In June, he was repatriated from El Salvador, only to face charges related to human smuggling, charges his lawyers have called "preposterous." His trial is scheduled to begin in January.

Before the deportation proceedings, Ábrego had lived in Maryland for more than a decade, working in construction and married to an American citizen. Though eligible for pretrial release, he remained in custody at the request of his attorneys, who were concerned the Republican administration might attempt to deport him again immediately upon release. A recent Maryland ruling has somewhat alleviated these concerns by requiring immigration officials to allow him time to prepare a defense.

Uganda’s temporary agreement with the US

Separately, Uganda confirmed earlier this week that it has reached a “temporary agreement” with the United States to accept certain asylum seekers being deported from the US.

Bagiire Vincent Waiswa, permanent secretary of Uganda’s foreign ministry, explained: "The agreement is in respect of third country nationals who may not be granted asylum in the United States but are reluctant to or may have concerns about returning to their countries of origin."

He added, "This is a temporary arrangement with conditions, including that individuals with criminal records and unaccompanied minors will not be accepted. Uganda also prefers that individuals from African countries shall be the ones transferred to Uganda. The two parties are working out the detailed modalities on how the agreement shall be implemented."

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