The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced plans to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Ghana, as stated in a notice sent to his attorneys. This decision comes after previous plans to deport him to Eswatini and Uganda.

Abrego Garcia, originally from El Salvador, had been living in Maryland with his wife and children. In March, he was deported to El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison, despite a 2019 court order that prohibited his deportation due to fears of persecution. The Trump administration had labeled him as a member of the criminal gang MS-13, a claim that both his family and attorneys dispute.

In June, Abrego Garcia was returned to the U.S. to face human trafficking charges in Tennessee, to which he has pleaded not guilty. After his release into the custody of his brother in Maryland while awaiting trial, he was detained again by immigration authorities, who expressed their intention to deport him.

On Friday, Abrego Garcia's attorneys are scheduled to appear in court for an evidentiary hearing. During this hearing, government witnesses are expected to testify about the efforts made to remove him to Eswatini or other countries. Last week, an immigration judge denied a motion from Abrego Garcia's attorneys to reopen his immigration case, complicating his legal situation further.