Maryland father Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 30-year-old Salvadoran national, is once again facing deportation—this time to Eswatini, a small landlocked kingdom in Southern Africa.
This marks the fourth country the Trump administration has considered for his removal. Earlier this year, Abrego Garcia was erroneously deported to El Salvador—a mistake the government admitted to as an “administrative error.” Despite this, he was subsequently returned to the U.S. to face human smuggling charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Most recently, authorities planned to deport him to Uganda, but a federal judge blocked that move, citing credible fears of persecution or torture. In court documents, Abrego Garcia’s legal team argued that he fears harm—not just in Uganda, but in 22 countries, prompting officials to choose Eswatini as the newest destination.
The decision was communicated in an email from DHS and ICE. Skeptical of the multiple claims of risk in so many countries, DHS officials wrote:
“That claim of fear is hard to take seriously, especially given that you have claimed … you fear persecution or torture in at least 22 different countries … Nonetheless, we hereby notify you that your new country of removal is Eswatini, Africa.”
The department further fueled controversy by posting on social media: “Homie is afraid of the entire western hemisphere.” That derogatory tone sparked public backlash and raised questions about the administration’s conduct.
As for Eswatini itself, the tiny nation—about 120 miles long and 80 miles wide, and Africa’s last absolute monarchy under King Mswati III—is one of the poorest countries on the continent. It previously accepted individuals labeled by DHS as “uniquely barbaric,” who were unwanted by their home countries, in apparently opaque third-country deportation arrangements.