UNITED STATES — The Trump administration notified a federal judge in Maryland on Friday that it intends to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia as soon as Oct. 31, after three other African countries declined to receive him.
Abrego Garcia, an El Salvadorian man, was deported to his native country in March, before being brought back to the U.S. in June to face human smuggling charges.
He pleaded not guilty, and the Trump administration has sought to deport him to multiple countries since.
Abrego Garcia was reunited with his family for a weekend in Maryland before ICE took him into custody on Aug. 25, and he has been detained ever since.
“Federal Defendants have received diplomatic assurances regarding the treatment of third country individuals removed to Liberia from the United States and are making the final necessary arrangements for Petitioner’s removal,” Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate wrote in the court filing. “Defendants expect to provide the requisite formal notice of the new designation of Liberia to Petitioner later today.”
Earlier this month, an ICE removals operation official testified that three African countries that the Trump administration had threatened to deport Abrego Garcia to – Uganda, Eswatini, and Ghana – had declined to receive him.
According to the court filing on Friday, Abrego Garcia could be deported to Liberia as soon as next week.
