US deports Kenyan former NFL player Daniel Adongo

Former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Daniel Adongo, 37, was removed from the United States by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after overstaying his visa, the agency announced. Adongo, who played for the Colts for two seasons, remained in the country beyond the expiration of his visa in 2016, the year following the end of his NFL career, according to U.S. authorities. In a statement issued on Saturday, ICE described Adongo as a "dangerous individual" and said he was ordered to depart the United States on March 23 and was physically removed from the country on June 20. Adongo, a rugby player at the time, attracted attention in 2013 when he switched to American football in the United States despite having never previously participated in the sport. "Those who break immigration law are held accountable, including former professional athletes," ICE Chicago deputy field office director Douglas Thompson said. "This dangerous individual was clearly a threat to the community, which is now safer since he's been removed," he added. Adongo has not commented on the allegations against him, and his destination after deportation remains unclear. According to the ICE release, the former athlete had been arrested "multiple times" over the past 10 years "for crimes including felony intimidation, artillery and disorderly conduct". His life after football also included a stay in a psychiatric hospital, as reported by the Indianapolis Star. His parents and lawyers have stated that he suffers from mental illness and injury, possibly stemming from his athletic career. In 2017, after being charged with intimidation and criminal mischief, a judge ordered a psychiatric evaluation to determine his competence to stand trial; he was found incompetent and committed to a psychiatric facility. The case was postponed several times, including instances when he failed to undergo another psychiatric assessment. In 2020, Adongo was convicted of "criminal mischief with damage" and sentenced to 364 days in prison, ICE said. The agency noted that his most recent charges fall under the Laken Riley Act, which mandates that undocumented immigrants arrested for theft or violent offenses be detained pending trial. President Donald Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law on January 29, 2025, shortly after beginning his second term. The legislation is named for Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student who was killed by a Venezuelan national a year prior. More than 40 Kenyans have been taken into custody by ICE, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website.