He spied for the U.S. in the war on terror. Now ICE wants to deport him.

Key Points:

• Blerim Skoro, a Kosovo-born man who claims to have worked as a CIA spy infiltrating al Qaeda after 9/11, was arrested by ICE in New Jersey while renewing his paperwork and faces deportation despite his contributions to U.S. counterterrorism efforts.
• Skoro's lawyers argue he was promised residency for his undercover work, which included helping convict terrorists and preventing attacks, but he was instead deported to Kosovo in 2007, where he was later targeted in an assassination attempt.
• A 2022 federal court ruling deferred Skoro’s removal due to the risk of torture or death if deported to Kosovo, but ICE allegedly failed to obtain judicial permission before arresting him, prompting a habeas corpus petition challenging his detention and potential deportation.
• Skoro’s family, attorneys, and supporters emphasize his decades of cooperation with U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies, calling his treatment a betrayal and warning that deportation would endanger his life.
• The case highlights broader concerns about ICE’s handling of individuals protected under the Convention Against Torture, as similar deportations have occurred without proper court procedures, raising legal and human rights questions.