Trump Takes Hard Line: Orders Unprecedented African Deportation for MS-13 Suspect

Paul Riverbank, 9/6/2025Trump orders unprecedented deportation of alleged MS-13 member to African nation Eswatini.

The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia reads like a bizarre legal thriller. After claiming persecution fears in nearly two dozen countries, he's now staring down deportation to a nation he's likely never visited. The Department of Homeland Security, seemingly frustrated with the mounting complexities, delivered this unprecedented decision via email to his legal team.

I've tracked Abrego Garcia's case since March, when authorities first deported him to El Salvador's notorious CECOT mega-prison. By summer, he was back on U.S. soil – this time facing human trafficking charges in Tennessee. He maintains his innocence.

What's particularly striking about this case isn't just its peculiar twists. It's how it exposes the sometimes absurd outcomes of our labyrinthine immigration system. The administration's decision to consider Eswatini – a country grappling with widespread poverty under absolute monarchy – feels less like reasoned policy and more like bureaucratic exasperation.

His attorneys raise valid concerns. "Third-country nationals previously removed to Eswatini have faced extremely harsh conditions," they argue. Having researched conditions there myself, I can confirm the country's troubling human rights record.

The heart of this dispute lies in conflicting narratives. While the administration insists Abrego Garcia has MS-13 ties (pointing to tattoos and an unnamed government source), his family and legal team categorically reject these claims. Their attorney, Chris Newman, didn't mince words: "None of those things are true, full stop."

For now, a federal judge has temporarily blocked the deportation until October. Abrego Garcia remains in limbo at a Virginia detention facility while his legal team scrambles to reopen his asylum case. The administration's latest court filing suggests they're not backing down, arguing conditions in El Salvador haven't "materially changed."

From where I sit, this case highlights something crucial about our immigration system: its increasing tendency to produce outcomes that seem divorced from both common sense and human dignity. Whether Abrego Garcia is guilty of the charges against him or not, the suggestion of deporting someone to a country with no connection to their case raises serious questions about due process and human rights.

As this story continues to unfold, it serves as a stark reminder of how far we've strayed from coherent immigration policy. The fact that we're even discussing deportation to Eswatini suggests we might need to fundamentally rethink our approach to immigration enforcement.

In what might be the strangest immigration case I've covered in two decades of political journalism, a Salvadoran national faces potential deportation not to his home country – but to Eswatini, a tiny African kingdom most Americans couldn't find on a map.The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia reads like a bizarre legal thriller. After claiming persecution fears in nearly two dozen countries, he's now staring down deportation to a nation he's likely never visited. The Department of Homeland Security, seemingly frustrated with the mounting complexities, delivered this unprecedented decision via email to his legal team.I've tracked Abrego Garcia's case since March, when authorities first deported him to El Salvador's notorious CECOT mega-prison. By summer, he was back on U.S. soil – this time facing human trafficking charges in Tennessee. He maintains his innocence.What's particularly striking about this case isn't just its peculiar twists. It's how it exposes the sometimes absurd outcomes of our labyrinthine immigration system. The administration's decision to consider Eswatini – a country grappling with widespread poverty under absolute monarchy – feels less like reasoned policy and more like bureaucratic exasperation.His attorneys raise valid concerns. "Third-country nationals previously removed to Eswatini have faced extremely harsh conditions," they argue. Having researched conditions there myself, I can confirm the country's troubling human rights record.The heart of this dispute lies in conflicting narratives. While the administration insists Abrego Garcia has MS-13 ties (pointing to tattoos and an unnamed government source), his family and legal team categorically reject these claims. Their attorney, Chris Newman, didn't mince words: "None of those things are true, full stop."For now, a federal judge has temporarily blocked the deportation until October. Abrego Garcia remains in limbo at a Virginia detention facility while his legal team scrambles to reopen his asylum case. The administration's latest court filing suggests they're not backing down, arguing conditions in El Salvador haven't "materially changed."From where I sit, this case highlights something crucial about our immigration system: its increasing tendency to produce outcomes that seem divorced from both common sense and human dignity. Whether Abrego Garcia is guilty of the charges against him or not, the suggestion of deporting someone to a country with no connection to their case raises serious questions about due process and human rights.As this story continues to unfold, it serves as a stark reminder of how far we've strayed from coherent immigration policy. The fact that we're even discussing deportation to Eswatini suggests we might need to fundamentally rethink our approach to immigration enforcement.