A former NFL linebacker who once turned rugby fame into an unlikely Indianapolis Colts roster spot has been deported to Kenya after nearly a decade of overstaying his visa and racking up arrests.
Quick Take
- Daniel Adongo, 37, was removed from the United States on June 20 after living in the country years past his visa’s expiration.
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says Adongo was arrested multiple times in Indiana over nine years on charges including felony intimidation and battery.
- A federal immigration judge ordered his removal on March 23, months before ICE carried out the deportation.
- Reports say Adongo struggled with serious mental health issues, including a diagnosis of acute psychosis, while in custody.
A Rare NFL Story Ends in Deportation
Adongo signed with the Indianapolis Colts in 2013 after making a name for himself as a rugby player in his native Kenya. He played linebacker for the team until his football career ended in 2015. He then stayed in the United States even after his visa expired in 2016, according to ICE and news reports covering his case.
ICE’s Chicago field office confirmed it removed Adongo, calling him a “criminal illegal alien from Kenya” in an official statement. The agency said he had been arrested repeatedly by Indiana police over the past nine years, with charges including felony intimidation, battery, and disorderly conduct.
Court records cited by news outlets show Adongo was convicted on some of those charges, though the full scope of his criminal history has not been made public in detail. His visa overstay alone made him removable under federal immigration law, separate from any criminal case.
Judge’s Order Came Months Before Removal
A Department of Justice immigration judge ordered Adongo’s deportation on March 23. ICE did not carry out that order until June 20, nearly three months later, according to reporting on his case timeline. The gap suggests logistical or procedural steps stood between the court ruling and his actual removal from the country.
Adongo spent time in ICE custody at a detention facility in Indiana before his removal. Reports describe the facility as one of the more troubled detention centers in the federal system, though ICE has not detailed specific conditions tied to Adongo’s stay there.
Mental Health Concerns Surfaced During Detention
Local reporting from Indiana raised questions about how ICE handled Adongo’s mental health while he was detained. Dr. Jason Jaronik, who evaluated Adongo at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, said the former athlete was “acutely psychotic” and had suffered a traumatic brain injury, according to details shared in local coverage.
Adongo’s case has drawn attention beyond sports pages because it touches two issues many Americans care about deeply: how the government enforces immigration law, and how it treats people with serious mental illness while they are in custody. Neither side of that debate disputes the basic facts of his removal.
Former Kenyan rugby player and former NFL linebacker Daniel Adongo has been deported from the United States after immigration officials ruled that he had overstayed his visa.
The 37-year-old was removed in June after an immigration judge ordered his removal earlier this year.… pic.twitter.com/K9THhtLi9K
— KENYA GOSSIP HUB (@kenyasgossips) July 26, 2026
Supporters of strict immigration enforcement point to Adongo’s criminal record and decade-long visa overstay as proof the system worked as intended. Critics argue his documented mental health struggles deserved more attention before and during his detention. Both viewpoints rest on the same undisputed timeline: an expired visa, repeated arrests, a judge’s order, and a deportation carried out months later.
Sources:
facebook.com, newsnationnow.com, dailymail.com
