A former NFL player from Kenya with a lengthy criminal record has officially been booted from the United States by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in an operation conducted in Chicago, Illinois. Former Indianapolis Colts linebacker, Daniel Ogama Adongo, 37, had been arrested numerous times over the span of a decade.
Adongo’s crimes include a conviction for criminal mischief with damage for an incident in 2020. A judge sentenced him to a year behind bars. ICE agents stated that Adongo overstayed his visa in 2016 and under stipulations contained in the Laken Riley Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump last year, anyone in the country illegally is required to be detained without bond if they have been convicted of certain crimes.
The former linebacker’s other arrests include felony intimidation, battery and disorderly conduct. In March 2026, Adongo was ordered to be kicked out of the country by an immigration judge. The order was officially carried out on June 20. “This dangerous individual was clearly a threat to the community, which is now safer since he’s been removed,” ICE Chicago Assistant Field Office Director Douglas Thompson went on to say.
According to a report from Fox News Digital, Thompson also said, “Those who violate immigration law are held equally accountable, including former professional athletes.” Adongo first came to the U.S. following his recruitment as a rugby player, going on to play two seasons of professional football with the Colts from 2013 until 2015.
“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,” ICE revealed. The agency also said, “Nearly 70% 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,” it added. A report from People revealed that Adongo’s family claims that he suffers from a number of mental health issues, which they say is likely due to his career playing professional football and rugby, both of which are contact sports known to cause traumatic brain injury over time.
Adongo was released from the Colts in December 2015 after a woman he lived with filed a police report. The report stated that the woman texted a friend saying she needed help. The friend then contacted local law enforcement. When they showed up at his house, the woman stated she did not want medical assistance and wouldn’t divulge the reason for the text.
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Adding some validation to the claim of his suffering from mental health issues, Adongo spent some time at a psychiatric facility in 2017. After he underwent a psychiatric examination by mental health professionals, a judge examined the evidence and deemed him to be incompetent. Despite that, the Trump administration is dedicated to ensuring that those in the country illegally who violate the law are deported to their countries of origin.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video