The administration of US President Donald Trump announced on Friday, October 24, 2025, that it has reached an agreement with Liberia to accept US deportee Kilmar Abrego.

According to a reuters.com report on October 24, 2025, the migrant whose controversial deportation to El Salvador earlier this year became a major focal point in the president's immigration crackdown has finally been accepted by Liberia.

The Justice Department stated in a court filing that Abrego, a sheet metal worker who had been living in Maryland with his American citizen wife and children, could be deported to the West African nation as soon as October 31.

'We are not accepting him!' - Ablakwa on deportation of Salvadoran by US government to Ghana

This agreement marks a breakthrough for the US administration after it was reportedly unsuccessful in securing acceptance for Abrego from other African nations, including Ghana, Uganda, and Eswatini, which were floated as options for his potential second deportation.

Liberia is the first country in Africa to agree to the request.

Liberia's Information Ministry confirmed the arrangement, stating it agreed to take Abrego "on a strictly humanitarian and temporary basis."

The ministry explicitly vowed to ensure that Abrego is not removed to "any country where he may face substantial risk of persecution, torture or other serious harm."

Abrego Garcia detained in US faces possible deportation to Uganda

The deal with Liberia comes as US District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland has temporarily blocked the US government from deporting Abrego while she considers his bid for release from immigration detention.

It remains unclear how the new agreement will influence the judge’s decision.

Abrego's legal team could still challenge his removal by claiming fear of torture or persecution.

Abrego's case drew national attention after his initial deportation to his native El Salvador in March was executed in violation of a prior US court order.

He was reportedly detained in a Salvadoran mega-prison known for its harsh conditions.

After being returned to the United States in June, Trump's Justice Department brought criminal charges against Abrego, accusing him of smuggling migrants, an accusation Abrego has pleaded not guilty to.

His lawyers have vehemently denied this, along with the administration’s claim that he is a member of the MS-13 gang, instead accusing the government of "vindictive prosecution."

Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, a lawyer for Abrego, issued a statement condemning the administration’s move to send him to Liberia: "The government has chosen yet another path that feels designed to inflict maximum hardship... Their actions are punitive, cruel and unconstitutional."

Sandoval-Moshenberg noted that Abrego has no personal connection to Liberia and that the country is geographically far from his family in Maryland.

A deportation could also jeopardize a crucial court hearing scheduled for November 4 and 5 in Nashville, Tennessee, where a judge will examine whether the criminal charges against Abrego were retaliation for his decision to legally challenge his March deportation.

Abrego's lawyers had previously indicated a preference for Costa Rica, a Spanish-speaking Central American country that had expressed willingness to take him in, but the US administration did not agree to that destination.

In defending its choice, the Justice Department highlighted Liberia's historic ties to the United States, its "humane treatment of refugees," and its "robust" human rights protections, despite a 2024 US State Department report that flagged significant rights issues in the West African country, including extrajudicial killings.

VPO/EB

US Embassy official allegedly pickpocketed at ShattaFest