Daniel Adongo, a former Indianapolis Colts linebacker and Kenyan national, has been deported from the United States by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The 37-year-old left the country after an immigration judge ordered his removal earlier this year.
Brief NFL career and visa overstay
Daniel Adongo arrived in the NFL as a rugby player who switched to American football. He signed with the Colts and appeared in five games during the 2014 and 2015 seasons, mostly on special teams. The team released him in 2015.
After his playing days ended, Adongo stayed in the United States past the expiration of his visa in 2016. A Department of Justice immigration judge formally ordered him removed on March 23. ICE carried out the deportation on June 20 from Chicago.
Criminal record in Indiana
Over the past nine years, Daniel Adongo faced multiple arrests in Indiana. Charges included felony intimidation, battery, and disorderly conduct. In 2020, he was convicted of criminal mischief with damage and sentenced to 364 days in jail, federal prosecutors said.
His release from the Indianapolis Colts in 2015 came after police responded to a call at a suburban Indianapolis home where he lived with a woman. According to the police report, the woman had texted a friend asking for help. Officers arrived and found she did not want medical assistance and could not explain the text.
Laken Riley Act connection
The most recent charges against Daniel Adongo fall under the Laken Riley Act. The law requires detention without bond for migrants in the country illegally who are charged with certain crimes. It was named after Laken Riley, a young woman murdered by a migrant who had earlier been cited for shoplifting on the University of Georgia campus. President Donald Trump signed the measure into law shortly after taking office in 2025.
Official statement on the deportation
ICE Chicago Assistant Field Office Director Douglas Thompson addressed the case in a statement released by the Department of Homeland Security.
"This dangerous individual was clearly a threat to the community, which is now safer since he's been removed," Thompson said. "Those who violate immigration law are held equally accountable, including former professional athletes."
Trump administration officials reported that more than 356,000 people have been deported in fiscal year 2026. ICE arrests have risen sharply since May as enforcement efforts expanded. Daniel Adongo's case highlights the intersection of professional sports careers and immigration enforcement.