U.S. Withdraws Plan to Deport Salvadoran Man to Ghana After Firm Rejection
GHANA – The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has officially withdrawn its plan to deport Salvadoran national Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Ghana, following a firm and public rejection from the Ghanaian government. The move marks another setback for the Trump administration’s efforts to remove the high-profile migrant from the United States.
🇬🇭 Ghana’s Firm Stance
Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, unequivocally stated that the country would not accept Abrego Garcia. He announced on social media platform X on October 10, 2025, that the U.S. authorities had subsequently complied with Ghana’s position .
“We also note with satisfaction that DHS has today taken the appropriate steps to inform Garcia’s lawyers and amend court submissions to reflect the fact that Ghana cannot be an option for Garcia’s deportation,” Ablakwa stated . He emphasized that Ghana’s humanitarian policy of accepting a limited number of non-criminal West Africans does not extend to individuals from other regions or those facing criminal allegations .
The DHS had initially notified Abrego Garcia’s attorneys of its intention to deport him to Ghana, but later described the notice as “premature” and requested it be disregarded . This swift reversal came after Ghana’s foreign minister directly and unambiguously conveyed the refusal to U.S. officials .
🌍 A Broader African Rejection
Ghana is the third African nation to refuse to accept Abrego Garcia, exposing the difficulties the U.S. administration faces in its deportation efforts.
· Failed Negotiations: A senior U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official, John Schultz, testified in a Maryland court that attempts to deport Abrego Garcia to Uganda and Eswatini had also failed. Schultz revealed that Uganda “ultimately said ‘no,'” and Eswatini also initially refused, though he described discussions with Eswatini as “ongoing” .
· A Pattern of Refusals: This series of rejections from African countries with no connection to the Salvadoran national has left the U.S. administration struggling to find a deportation destination .
⚖️ Legal Battles and Allegations of Persecution
The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia is complex, spanning multiple U.S. courts and involving allegations of unlawful government retaliation.
· A Contested Deportation: Abrego Garcia was initially deported to El Salvador in March 2025, despite a 2019 court order blocking his removal to his home country due to credible fears of gang persecution . U.S. courts later declared that deportation illegal, and he was returned to the U.S. in June .
· Criminal Charges: Upon his return, he was indicted on human smuggling charges in Tennessee, to which he has pleaded not guilty . His legal team argues the charges are vindictive, filed in retaliation for his successful legal challenge against his initial deportation .
· Judicial Scrutiny: A federal judge in Nashville has acknowledged that Abrego Garcia “sufficiently presented some evidence that the Government had a stake in retaliating against him” and has scheduled an evidentiary hearing for November 3 . In a separate Maryland hearing, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis considered whether the government’s failure to secure a deportation destination should lead to his release from immigration detention .
🗺️ A Political Flashpoint
The case has become a focal point in the debate over U.S. immigration policy. The Trump administration has publicly labeled Abrego Garcia as a member of the MS-13 gang, a claim his lawyers and family consistently deny . His attorneys argue that the administration’s haphazard efforts to deport him to African countries, instead of accepting his offer to be sent to Costa Rica—a country that has agreed to take him—show that the goal is to keep him incarcerated indefinitely for political reasons .
The repeated refusal of African nations to accept Abrego Garcia signals a growing assertiveness and may prompt a re-evaluation of U.S. deportation diplomacy on the continent. For now, the future whereabouts of Kilmar Abrego Garcia remain uncertain, pending further court decisions.
