U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported former Kenyan NFL player Daniel Adongo on June 20, citing an overstayed visa, multiple arrests, and prison time. Adongo, 37, who played linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts for two seasons, overstayed his visa in 2016, according to ICE.
ICE, which labeled Adongo a "dangerous individual," stated he was ordered to leave the U.S. on March 23. "Those who violate immigration law are held equally accountable, including former professional athletes," said Douglas Thompson, assistant field office director for ICE Chicago. "This dangerous individual was clearly a threat to the community, which is now safer since he's been removed."
Adongo, originally a rugby player, gained media attention in 2013 when he transitioned to American football in the U.S. without prior experience in the sport. His post-NFL life was marked by legal troubles. According to ICE, Adongo had been arrested multiple times over the past decade for offenses including felony intimidation, battery, and disorderly conduct.
The Indianapolis Star reported that Adongo spent time in a psychiatric hospital during this period. His mother and legal representatives have stated he suffered from mental illness and injuries potentially sustained during his athletic career. In 2017, after being charged with intimidation and criminal mischief, a judge ordered a psychiatric evaluation to determine Adongo's competency to stand trial. He was found incompetent and sent to a psychiatric hospital, with his trial rescheduled multiple times due to further psychiatric evaluations.
In 2020, Adongo was convicted of "criminal mischief with damage" and sentenced to 364 days in prison, ICE stated. His most recent charges were brought under the Laken Riley Act, a law signed by President Donald Trump on January 29, 2025, which mandates the detention of undocumented immigrants arrested for theft or violent crimes pending trial. The act was named after Laken Riley, a nursing student murdered the previous year.
Adongo has not publicly commented on the allegations. It is unclear where he was deported to. ICE stated that more than 40 Kenyans have been arrested by the agency, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website.