Daniel Ogama Adongo, a 37-year-old former Kenyan NFL linebacker, has been deported from the United States by immigration authorities. Adongo was removed from the country in Chicago.
Former NFL Player Deported from the US
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed the removal to Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement, disclosing that Adongo had been living unlawfully in the United States since 2016, when he overstayed his visa. Over the following decade, he accumulated multiple arrests on charges including felony intimidation, battery, and disorderly conduct, though several of those charges were later dropped.
Adongo originally arrived in the United States as a rugby recruit before transitioning to American football. He spent two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts between 2013 and 2015, earning recognition as one of Kenya's most prominent players to feature in the NFL. His professional career came to an abrupt end when the Colts released him following a domestic-related police visit in December 2015.
Mandatory Detention Under the Laken Riley Act
Under the Laken Riley Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump, immigrants without legal status who are convicted of certain crimes are subject to mandatory detention without bond. A Department of Justice immigration judge ordered Adongo's removal in March 2026, and that order was executed three months later. ICE noted that nearly 70% of its arrests involve illegal aliens who have been charged with or convicted of crimes on US soil, and that more than three million such individuals have been removed under the current administration.
It remains unclear whether he eventually returned to Kenya or what his next steps are. Douglas Thompson, ICE Chicago Assistant Field Office Director, commented on the case, saying: "It remains unclear whether he eventually returned to Kenya or what his next steps are."
Deportation Details
Adongo was convicted of criminal mischief with damage and served a one-year custodial sentence in 2020. Under the Laken Riley Act, immigrants without legal status who are convicted of certain crimes are subject to mandatory detention without bond. A Department of Justice immigration judge ordered Adongo's removal in March 2026, and that order was executed three months later.
It is worth noting that Adongo's deportation is just one of many cases of immigrants without legal status being removed from the United States. The exact circumstances of Adongo's deportation, including whether he eventually returned to Kenya, are unclear.
Source: Tuko
