The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a contentious plan to deport Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran national entangled in a high-profile legal struggle, to Liberia by October 31. This decision follows a series of federal court criticisms over his wrongful deportation earlier this year and is part of a broader initiative to execute third-country removals.

Ábrego García, who has lived in Maryland for over a decade, initially drew national headlines after being mistakenly deported to El Salvador, despite a court determining he had a “well-founded fear” of persecution there. The US Supreme Court intervened, mandating his return, and he was brought back to the US in June 2025.

Currently barred from returning to El Salvador, the DHS has approached several countries, including Uganda, Eswatini, and Ghana, before settling on Liberia, which has agreed to accept him on a “strictly humanitarian and temporary basis.” The DHS praised Liberia as a "thriving democracy" and emphasized its commitment to the humane treatment of refugees and the convenience of a common language, English.

However, Ábrego García’s attorneys argue that deporting him to a nation where he has no ties, far from his family in the US, is punitive and unconstitutional. They highlight the emotional and psychological toll such a deportation would entail, not only on Ábrego García but also on his US-based family.

In a legal battle earlier this year, Judge Paula Xinis of the US District Court for the District of Maryland condemned the deportation, stating it “shocks the conscience” and lacked any legal basis. Despite this, when federal officials requested a stay on the ruling, the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit denied the motion, affirming that the government had no authority to remove a lawfully present individual without due process.

Adding to Ábrego García’s legal woes are federal human-smuggling charges in Tennessee, where US District Judge Waverly Crenshaw noted a “realistic likelihood” of vindictive prosecution by the federal government. This aspect of his case adds another layer of complexity to his legal predicaments and raises further questions about the motives behind his treatment by federal authorities.

As the October 31 deadline approaches, the legal and ethical debates surrounding Ábrego García’s deportation continue to intensify, highlighting significant concerns about the implementation of US immigration laws and the treatment of individuals within its scope.