First Kenyan-born NFL player deported, ICE says
NBC News • • sports
Key Points:
- Daniel Ogama Adongo, a former Indianapolis Colts linebacker and the first Kenyan NFL player, was deported by ICE on June 20 for overstaying his visa since 2016 and a history of arrests.
- ICE cited Adongo's 2020 conviction for criminal mischief and other dismissed charges, invoking the Laken Riley Act to justify his detention and removal, labeling him a community threat.
- Adongo's legal defense and mental health professionals have suggested his criminal behavior was linked to mental illness and possible traumatic brain injury, including suspected Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) from his football and rugby careers.
- CTE, a brain condition caused by repeated head trauma, cannot be diagnosed in living patients and has been linked to NFL players since 2016; about one-third of former players suspect they have the disease.
- Requests for comment from Adongo, his current legal representatives, and the Department of Homeland Security regarding his mental health and brain injury concerns were not immediately answered.
