The Trump administration has revealed a plan to deport Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran man who has been at the centre of an immigration row, to the southern African kingdom of Eswatini.
In an email to his lawyers obtained by the BBC's US partner CBS, an immigration officer said they were changing last month's decision to send him to Uganda.
The officer noted that this change was made after Mr. Ábrego García raised concerns over potential persecution in Uganda, adding that while such claims were considered 'hard to take seriously,' the US authorities would still accommodate his fear.
Previously, Mr. Ábrego García was incorrectly deported to El Salvador in March, and after facing criminal allegations, he was brought back to the US to address these charges.
US officials acknowledged that his initial removal was an error, and he had been charged with human smuggling upon his return, which he has denied vehemently. The US administration alleges ties between him and the MS-13 gang, a claim that he also contests.
This case symbolizes a critical point in the immigration policies of the Trump administration, particularly the push for stringent enforcement measures. Notably, Mr. Ábrego García has no connections to Eswatini, which is the latest proposed destination for his deportation after Uganda, among other countries.
Known previously as Swaziland, Eswatini is surrounded by South Africa and Mozambique and is one of the few absolute monarchies remaining globally, under King Mswati III since 1986.
Eswatini has already received several deportees from the US, classified as 'criminal illegal aliens,' leading to rising concerns in the country about becoming a dumping ground for such individuals.
While it remains unconfirmed whether Eswatini engages in financial agreements related to receiving deportees, economic ties to the US, especially concerning sugar exports, may influence its diplomatic stance on these deportations.
Mr. Ábrego García's case raises significant questions over the ethics of deporting individuals to countries with which they have no ties, as well as the broader implications of US deportation policies on nations like Eswatini.
