The Trump administration has identified Liberia as the next destination for Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a suspected MS-13 gang member and convicted abuser, as federal authorities seek to remove him from the United States. Court filings submitted Friday indicate that immigration officials hope to carry out the deportation as early as October 31.
Abrego Garcia first rose to prominence in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts after being deported to El Salvador earlier this year, despite a prior withholding of removal order. Following his June return to the U.S., federal prosecutors have repeatedly clashed with his legal team over a suitable country willing to accept him.
“Federal Defendants hereby provide notice that they have identified a new country for removal that has agreed to accept Petitioner: the Republic of Liberia,” the Justice Department stated. “Although Petitioner has identified more than twenty countries that he purports to fear would persecute or torture him if he were removed there, Liberia is not on that list.”
The DOJ highlighted Liberia as a stable democracy and a close U.S. partner in Africa, noting that English is the national language, which could facilitate Abrego Garcia’s integration. “Liberia also is committed to the humane treatment of refugees,” the filing added.
Earlier in the process, federal authorities had considered Eswatini, a small southern African nation, and Uganda as potential deportation destinations. However, Abrego Garcia’s legal team has consistently cited fear of persecution or torture in nearly every proposed country. Federal officials noted in September, “That claim of fear is hard to take seriously, especially given that you have claimed (through your attorneys) that you fear persecution or torture in at least 22 different countries.” Those countries include Uganda, El Salvador, Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Haiti.
It remains uncertain whether the administration can complete the deportation by the end of October. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, an Obama appointee overseeing Abrego Garcia’s case in Maryland, has ordered him to remain detained pending an evidentiary hearing.
Abrego Garcia faces federal allegations of gang involvement, human smuggling, and arms and drug trafficking. Prosecutors cite a 2022 Tennessee highway stop, during which law enforcement discovered him transporting eight passengers, none of whom had luggage, and all listing his address as their own.
In addition to his criminal history, Abrego Garcia has faced allegations of domestic abuse from his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, including claims that he punched and scratched her eye and physically assaulted her in 2020 and 2021. Sura has since downplayed these incidents, framing them as isolated events.
Federal authorities now aim to complete the deportation process swiftly, underscoring the Trump administration’s continued focus on enforcing immigration laws and removing individuals deemed dangerous from U.S. soil.
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