Federal immigration authorities have notified Kilmar Abrego Garcia — an illegal immigrant with suspected ties to the violent MS-13 gang — that he will be deported to the African nation of Eswatini, after his legal team claimed he feared persecution in 22 other countries.
According to an official removal notice, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) dismissed Abrego Garcia’s sweeping claims of potential torture or abuse across nearly every country in the Western Hemisphere, stating the allegations were impossible to take seriously. Initially scheduled for removal to Uganda, ICE reassigned his destination after his attorneys added that he also feared being sent there.
“We hereby notify you that your new country of removal is Eswatini, Africa," ICE officials responded.
The 22 countries Garcia claimed to fear include El Salvador — his home country — along with numerous Latin American nations and Uganda. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reposted the news with a sharp message on social media: “Homie is afraid of the entire Western Hemisphere.”
BREAKING: @FoxNews has obtained an email ICE sent to Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s lawyers this afternoon notifying them that ICE now plans to deport him to the tiny African country of ESWATINI due to him claiming fear of persecution/torture in Uganda & 20+ other countries, which ICE… pic.twitter.com/qpPiE6ZeyB
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) September 5, 2025
Garcia, who was deported to El Salvador in March, became a political talking point for Democrats who accused the Trump administration of denying him due process. He was brought back to the U.S. in June and is now facing federal charges related to human smuggling, stemming from a 2022 incident in Tennessee where he was found transporting multiple illegal immigrants across state lines.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has identified Garcia as a known MS-13 affiliate, in addition to calling him a “human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, and child predator.” He is currently detained in Virginia, awaiting further legal proceedings. A federal judge — Obama-appointed Paula Xinis — temporarily blocked his deportation to Uganda, prompting ICE to redirect him to Eswatini.
Garcia’s attorney, Chris Newman, has flatly denied all allegations, accusing DHS of political intimidation.
“None of those things are true, full stop,” he told Fox News, claiming the Trump administration is “blackmailing an innocent man” by using the deportation process to coerce him into giving up constitutional protections.
Still, the facts remain: Garcia is in the U.S. illegally, with credible evidence tying him to human smuggling operations — and possibly worse. While left-wing activists and attorneys attempt to paint him as a victim, ICE is doing its job under federal law to remove a foreign national who has no legal right to remain in the country.