Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 30-year-old El Salvadoran national, is facing deportation to Eswatini, a small African nation, after rejecting a plea deal from the Trump administration. Garcia, who has been accused of being affiliated with the MS-13 gang and of human smuggling, was informed of his impending removal in an email from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Friday.

Garcia's situation is complicated. He was previously deported to El Salvador in March but was returned to the U.S. in June following a Supreme Court ruling. After his return, he was placed under electronic surveillance and home confinement in Maryland. However, he was detained again by ICE during a check-in appointment in Baltimore and faced the possibility of deportation to Uganda. His attorneys have argued that he fears persecution or torture in Uganda and other countries, including several in Latin America.

In the email from ICE, officials noted that Garcia had listed 22 countries where he feared for his safety, including Mexico, Costa Rica, and Brazil. Despite these claims, an ICE official described them as "hard to take seriously" but confirmed that Eswatini would be his new country of removal.

Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is Africa's last absolute monarchy and has previously accepted deportees from the U.S. The Trump administration has sent several individuals to Eswatini, including those convicted of violent crimes, although these deportations have faced legal challenges. Garcia's attorneys have expressed concerns about the conditions in Eswatini, where deportees have reportedly been held incommunicado.

Garcia's legal troubles extend beyond deportation. He is currently fighting federal smuggling charges and is seeking asylum in the U.S. His attorneys argue that he has a well-founded fear of persecution due to his alleged gang affiliation and past experiences in El Salvador, where he claims to have been tortured in a notorious prison.

The government has contested his asylum request, citing his alleged ties to MS-13 and a domestic violence complaint filed by his wife, which she later chose not to pursue. Garcia has denied any affiliation with the gang and has pleaded not guilty to the smuggling charges, which his lawyers describe as "vindictive and selective."

As the legal battle continues, Garcia remains in ICE custody in Virginia. A federal judge in Maryland has paused his potential deportation to Uganda until at least next month, while his attorneys work to reopen his immigration case and secure his right to seek asylum.