US Plans Deportation of Salvadoran Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia Amid Legal Battle

The U.S. government, under President Donald Trump's administration, is planning to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national, to Liberia by October 31, despite ongoing legal battles and his fears of persecution. Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador earlier this year in violation of a court order and cannot legally be returned there, prompting ICE to seek alternative countries for his removal, including Uganda, Eswatini, Ghana, and now Liberia. The Department of Homeland Security describes Liberia as a thriving democracy and a close U.S. partner in Africa, not on Abrego Garcia's list of feared countries, but his legal team argues that deporting him to Liberia is punitive, cruel, and unconstitutional, especially without guarantees against re-deportation to El Salvador. His attorney has highlighted that Costa Rica has agreed to accept Abrego Garcia as a refugee, presenting a lawful alternative. Abrego Garcia is currently detained in Pennsylvania awaiting deportation, and his case has drawn criticism for the government's handling amid claims that he is a member of the MS-13 gang and faces charges of human smuggling. The controversy underscores tensions in the Trump administration's hardline immigration policies and the complex legal challenges surrounding third-country deportations.