U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it deported former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Daniel Ogama Adongo, a Kenyan national, on June 20 after an immigration judge ordered his removal on March 23, 2026. ICE said Adongo overstayed his visa in 2016 and had a record of arrests and a 2020 conviction in Indiana.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said Daniel Ogama Adongo, 37, was removed from the United States and returned to Kenya on June 20.
ICE said Adongo had been arrested multiple times in Indiana over roughly nine years, including cases involving allegations of felony intimidation, battery and disorderly conduct. The agency said he was convicted in 2020 of criminal mischief with damage and received a 364-day sentence.
NBC News, citing court records, reported that several of the charges highlighted by ICE did not result in convictions and were dismissed. NBC News also reported that while Adongo was sentenced to 364 days on the 2020 criminal mischief case, court records showed he ultimately was ordered to serve six months in county jail after credit for time served.
ICE Chicago Assistant Field Office Director Douglas Thompson said in a statement that Adongo’s removal made the community safer and that immigration laws are applied equally, “including former professional athletes.”
ICE said Adongo overstayed his visa in 2016, about a year after his NFL career ended. The agency said an immigration judge ordered him removed on March 23, 2026.
Adongo, a former rugby player, joined the Indianapolis Colts as an outside linebacker in 2013 despite having no prior American football experience, the team previously said. He was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster during the 2013 season, and his time with the organization ended in 2015.
The Department of Homeland Security amplified the case in a July 25 post on X that described Adongo as having a criminal record and said he had been deported.
Attorneys who previously represented Adongo did not immediately respond to media requests for comment, NBC News reported.
