As debates over immigration policy continue, one convicted human trafficker has asked the U.S. government to halt his deportation—on the grounds that deporting him amounts to human trafficking.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant facing removal orders, argued through his attorney that sending him to another country against his will is a violation of his basic human rights.
“You can’t just force a person onto a plane and send them somewhere they don’t want to go,” his lawyer said, apparently with a straight face. “That would be cruel and unusual. My client does not want to be handcuffed and relocated abroad, and frankly, who among us would?”
Abrego Garcia, who built his career transporting people across borders illegally, now insists that having the same thing done to him is “inhumane.”
“I don’t want to go to Uganda,” he said through an interpreter. “Being restrained and forced into another country without my consent is illegal. I just wish someone would defend my right not to be trafficked.”
Critics pointed out the irony, noting that his plea is essentially a demand that the government recognize deportation as human trafficking—while ignoring his own history of profiting from the practice.
At press time, immigration officials had not confirmed whether they were taking lessons in irony before issuing a final decision.
