The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced plans to transfer Salvadoran-born Kilmar Armando Abrego García to the African nation of Liberia by October 31, according to court documents. He faces a standing removal order after a controversial March 2025 deportation to El Salvador that a federal court later ruled unlawful due to his protected status under U.S. immigration law.
Abrego García entered the U.S. illegally in 2011 and had lived in Maryland with his U.S.-citizen wife and children. In 2019, an immigration judge found he feared persecution if sent back to El Salvador and barred his removal there, but the government deported him despite the ruling—calling it an “administrative error.” He returned to U.S. custody in June and has been charged with human-smuggling offenses while remaining detained.
In the current filing, DHS states that Liberia, described as “a thriving democracy” and “one of the United States’ closest partners,” is the designated country for his removal because it is not on his list of feared persecution destinations. Abrego García’s attorneys argue the move is punitive, pointing out he has no prior conviction, no known ties to gangs, and no connection to Liberia. They say the proposed deportation thousands of miles away from his home and family raises serious concerns about due-process and fairness.
The case has become a flashpoint in the immigration debate, illustrating the federal government’s expanding use of third-country deportation schemes and raising questions about oversight, legal precedent and the rights of long-term residents facing removal.