US deports former NFL player Daniel Adongo to Kenya after visa violations
By Joel Masibo, July 26, 2026Former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Daniel Adongo has been deported from the United States after immigration authorities determined he had remained in the country beyond the validity of his visa.
The 37-year-old Kenyan, who previously played for the Colts between 2013 and 2015, was removed from the U.S. by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Chicago. Officials said Adongo had overstayed his visa in 2016 and had a criminal history that included several arrests over the years.
According to ICE, Adongo was convicted of criminal mischief involving property damage in 2020 and received a one-year jail sentence. Authorities also listed previous arrests involving felony intimidation, battery and disorderly conduct.
“Daniel Ogama Adongo, from Kenya, has a criminal record in the U.S. that includes arrests for criminal mischief with damage, felony intimidation, battery and disorderly conduct,” Homeland Security wrote while confirming Adongo’s deportation.
“Our communities are SAFER now that this criminal is OUT of our country.”
Officials said that under the Laken Riley Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2025, non-citizens living in the U.S. illegally who are convicted of certain offenses must remain in custody without bond while immigration proceedings continue.
A Department of Justice immigration judge reportedly ordered Adongo’s removal in March 2026, and the deportation was carried out on June 20, 2026.
“This dangerous individual was clearly a threat to the community, which is now safer since he’s been removed,” said ICE Chicago Assistant Field Office Director Douglas Thompson. “Those who violate immigration law are held equally accountable, including former professional athletes.”
Adongo moved to the United States after being recruited as a rugby player before switching to American football. He spent two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts after joining the NFL through the league’s international player pathway.
ICE also defended its broader immigration enforcement efforts, saying, “Since Day One, DHS law enforcement has been delivering on President Trump’s promise to the American people to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens including murderers, rapists, child sex abusers, gang members, and terrorists.”
The agency further stated, “Nearly 70 per cent of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. More than 3 million illegal aliens are out of the country and counting. Our message is clear: If you come to our country illegally, we will find you, we will arrest you, and we will deport you.”
Adongo was not immediately available for comment following his deportation.