Liberia agrees to accept wrongly deported migrant Kilmar Abrego, U.S. says
The U.S. Trump administration says Liberia has agreed to accept migrant Kilmar Abrego, wrongly deported to El Salvador, on a temporary humanitarian basis, while his lawyers call the move punitive.
The U.S. Trump administration has reached an agreement with Liberia to accept Kilmar Abrego, the migrant whose wrongful deportation to El Salvador in March became a high-profile flashpoint in the president’s immigration crackdown. The Justice Department said Abrego could be deported as early as October 31, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Liberia agreed to take Abrego “on a strictly humanitarian and temporary basis”, ensuring he will not be sent to a country where he might face persecution or torture. It is the first African country to agree after previous attempts with Uganda, Eswatini, and Ghana failed.
Abrego, a sheet metal worker living in Maryland with his wife and children, was illegally deported to El Salvador despite a U.S. court order. He returned to the U.S. in June and faces criminal charges, which his lawyers say are retaliatory. Abrego has no personal ties to Liberia, and his legal team described the decision as punitive and cruel.
A Maryland judge has temporarily blocked the deportation while considering Abrego’s case, which could affect upcoming hearings in Tennessee regarding his criminal charges. The U.S. Justice Department cited Liberia’s historic ties with the U.S. and refugee protections in reaching the agreement.
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