Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia has learned his next destination after facing deportation from the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has decided to remove him to the small African nation of Eswatini, previously known as Swaziland.
This decision was revealed in an email obtained by Fox News, which was sent to Abrego Garcia’s legal team on Friday. The DHS’s message, which derisively mocked Abrego Garcia’s claims of fear of persecution, stirred controversy. In reference to his asylum claim, the DHS mocked the argument with the phrase, “Homie is afraid of the entire western hemisphere.”
This comment quickly gained attention on social media, with many criticizing the use of the term “homie” in a legal context. Abrego Garcia, currently in ICE custody in Virginia, gained national attention in March when he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador due to an “administrative error” after initially being placed under deportation orders.
However, his return to the U.S. was brief, and he is now facing a second deportation attempt to Eswatini after the government decided to pursue charges of human smuggling. His legal team has strongly disputed these charges, calling them “preposterous and vindictive” for challenging ICE policies. Eswatini marks the fourth country the government has considered for its removal.
Prior to this, Uganda had been set as the destination, but a federal judge blocked that plan, agreeing with Abrego Garcia’s legal team’s argument of potential torture and persecution in the country. The judge ordered that no further removal proceedings take place until more legal processing could occur.
Despite this legal setback, the DHS has remained unsympathetic. In the letter to Abrego Garcia’s lawyers, the agency dismissed his asylum claims, stating, “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.”
The department further clarified that Abrego Garcia’s new intended country of removal would be Eswatini, though the letter did not explain how the nation was selected.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who has made Abrego Garcia’s case a personal mission, has previously labeled him as a “monster” and “human trafficker” in social media posts. However, Abrego Garcia’s legal team has denied these allegations, with multiple judges having ruled there is no evidence to support claims of gang affiliation or a criminal history.
Eswatini, one of Africa’s smallest countries with a population of 1.2 million, is the continent’s last absolute monarchy. Bordered by South Africa and Mozambique, it changed its name from Swaziland to Eswatini in 2018 to avoid confusion with Switzerland.
Abrego Garcia’s attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, criticized the Trump administration’s tactics, calling them “completely unconstitutional” in weaponizing the immigration system against his client.