(LIBERIA) The United States 🇺🇸 is preparing to remove Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man at the center of a high-profile immigration dispute, to Liberia on or after October 31, 2025, after courts condemned his earlier wrongful deportation to El Salvador and several African nations declined to accept him. Abrego Garcia is currently detained in Pennsylvania while his lawyers fight the planned deportation, arguing it is punitive and unconstitutional because he has no connection to Liberia and would be sent far from his family and community in the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says Liberia agreed to accept him on a temporary, humanitarian basis with diplomatic assurances for humane treatment. Uganda, Ghana, and Eswatini refused, according to court filings. DHS describes Liberia as a “thriving democracy” and a close U.S. partner with strong rights protections. His lawyers and supporters, including Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), counter that shipping him to a country he has never known undermines due process and ignores safer, lawful options, including a reported asylum offer from Costa Rica.
Case background and legal stakes
Abrego Garcia entered the U.S. in 2011, saying he fled gang violence in El Salvador. In 2019, an immigration judge granted him withholding of removal, a protection that bars the government from sending a person to a country where their life or freedom would likely be threatened.
- Withholding of removal is often requested through the asylum application, Form I-589.
- For official guidance, see the USCIS page for Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal.
- Background on withholding protections is available at USCIS: Withholding of Removal.
Despite that protection, immigration officers deported Abrego Garcia to El Salvador in March 2025, in violation of a court order. Once in El Salvador, he was jailed without trial in the CECOT mega-prison, according to his legal team. After urgent litigation, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered his return, and he was repatriated in June 2025.
Federal courts have since rebuked the government’s handling of the case. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis called the original removal “wholly lawless,” saying there were no legal grounds for his arrest, detention, or deportation. Advocates say these rulings should weigh against any further attempt to remove him to a third country, especially one where he lacks ties and support.
While back in U.S. custody, Abrego Garcia now faces separate federal human smuggling charges in Tennessee. His attorneys say the charges are retaliatory and tied to his efforts to challenge the government in court. The government disputes that claim. Regardless of the outcome of the criminal case, DHS is moving to complete the deportation to Liberia under immigration authorities that allow removal to a third country when the person cannot be sent to their country of nationality.
Government rationale and Liberia’s role
The government’s filings argue that third-country removals can advance enforcement goals when a person cannot lawfully be returned to their home country. DHS asserts Liberia’s agreement includes strict humanitarian terms and monitoring assurances to protect Abrego Garcia’s rights.
- DHS highlights Liberia’s democratic institutions and close ties with the U.S. as factors that reduce risk.
- Uganda, Ghana, and Eswatini declined to accept him, which underscores the diplomatic challenge.
- Liberia agreed only on a temporary, humanitarian basis, per court documents.
Human rights groups are split on the move:
- Some view Liberia’s acceptance as a humane alternative that avoids returning Abrego Garcia to danger in El Salvador.
- Others argue the U.S. is outsourcing responsibility, sending a man thousands of miles from family and without cultural or language support.
Abrego Garcia’s lawyers say Costa Rica has offered him asylum, which could provide stability without violating his withholding protection. They argue the government has not pursued that option, even though it might avoid harms they associate with a transfer to Liberia. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the case is a test of how far U.S. authorities can go in sending people to third countries with no prior connection to the individual.
“Sending a person to a country where they have no ties undermines due process,” say supporters and legal advocates. The courts’ previous rebukes of the government’s conduct are central to that argument.
What happens next
The government told the court it intends to carry out the deportation to Liberia on or after October 31, 2025, pending final arrangements and notice to Abrego Garcia. His legal team continues to seek court orders blocking the removal and argues:
- He is entitled to full due process before any third-country transfer.
- Sending him to Liberia conflicts with the spirit of his withholding protection.
- The move would separate him from family in the U.S. and limit access to his lawyers.
If DHS proceeds, Abrego Garcia would be placed on a flight to Liberia under diplomatic assurances of humane treatment and temporary permission to remain. Key unknowns include:
- How long the temporary status would last.
- What support, if any, he would receive upon arrival.
- Whether he would have access to housing, medical care, or legal assistance.
Advocates warn that sudden placement in an unfamiliar country can create serious risks, especially for people with trauma from past persecution.
Practical guidance for immigrants and families
The case highlights several practical points for immigrants and their families:
- Court orders matter. Keep copies of any immigration judge decisions, especially grants of withholding of removal, and share them with counsel and family.
- Use Form I-589 if you fear harm in your home country; it is the standard way to request asylum and withholding. The form and instructions are on the USCIS site linked above.
- Seek counsel immediately if ICE discusses transfer to a third country while you have a final order or a protection grant like withholding of removal. You may have defense options in court.
- Plan for emergencies: designate a legal representative, keep important documents safe, and know how to contact an attorney quickly.
Broader stakes and current status
The outcome of this case will shape how the U.S. handles third-country removals—particularly where a person cannot safely return home but the government still seeks removal elsewhere. It will also affect people with similar protection orders who fear being sent to unfamiliar countries far from any support network.
For now, Abrego Garcia remains detained in Pennsylvania, with his lawyers filing new motions while DHS prepares for removal. Whether the flight to Liberia takes off after October 31, 2025 will depend on the next round of court rulings—and on whether diplomacy, law, and considerations of fairness can align in time.
This Article in a Nutshell
The U.S. plans to deport Salvadoran Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia on or after October 31, 2025, after several African countries refused to accept him. Abrego Garcia, who entered the U.S. in 2011 and was granted withholding of removal in 2019, was wrongfully deported to El Salvador in March 2025 and held in the CECOT mega-prison before being returned to the U.S. in June 2025 following Supreme Court action. DHS says Liberia agreed to accept him temporarily on humanitarian terms with diplomatic assurances. His lawyers and supporters argue the transfer violates due process, uproots him from family, and that alternatives like Costa Rica’s reported asylum offer were not pursued. Federal courts have criticized the government’s prior conduct; legal challenges continue while Abrego Garcia remains detained in Pennsylvania.
