Former NFL Player Deported from the U.S. After Visa Overstay

Deportation of Daniel Ogama Adongo

A former NFL player has been deported from the United States due to a visa overstay, as confirmed by U.S. immigration officials. Daniel Ogama Adongo, originally from Kenya and who had a brief stint with the Indianapolis Colts, was removed from Chicago on June 20 after an immigration judge mandated his deportation on March 23. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the 37-year-old had remained in the U.S. since his visa expired in 2016, following the conclusion of his NFL career a year prior.

Federal prosecutors noted that Adongo faced multiple arrests in Indiana over the last nine years, with charges ranging from felony intimidation to battery and disorderly conduct. In 2020, he was convicted of criminal mischief related to property damage and received a 364-day jail sentence.

Adongo, who transitioned from rugby to American football, joined the Colts via the NFL's International Player Pathway program. He participated in five games, mainly on special teams, before being released in 2015. Reports indicated that police were called to a residence in suburban Indianapolis after a woman living with Adongo sent a distress text to a friend. Upon police arrival, the woman declined medical help and could not clarify her message.

U.S. authorities stated that Adongo's latest criminal charges fell under the Laken Riley Act, which mandates detention without bond for individuals illegally in the U.S. accused of specific offenses. This legislation was enacted after the tragic murder of nursing student Laken Riley by a migrant previously cited for shoplifting, and it was signed into law by President Trump in 2025. The Trump administration reported that over 356,000 individuals have been deported in the 2026 fiscal year, with a notable increase in ICE arrests since May.

"This dangerous individual was clearly a threat to the community, which is now safer since he's been removed," stated Douglas Thompson, Assistant Field Office Director of ICE Chicago, in a release from the Department of Homeland Security. "Those who violate immigration law are held equally accountable, including former professional athletes."