Immigration and Customs Enforcement informed Salvadoran illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia that he would be deported to the African country of Eswatini, after he claimed fear of persecution from 22 different countries.

After the Trump administration tried to send Abrego Garcia to Uganda, the alleged MS-13 gang member claimed that he feared persecution or torture in the country. In a Friday letter from ICE, obtained by Fox News, it said the Salvadoran national sent a list of 22 different countries that he feared persecution or torture in, a list the agency said was “hard to take seriously.” Despite this, the Trump administration said it would respect his request.

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“Nonetheless, we hereby notify you that your new country of removal is Eswatini, Africa,” it said.

The Department of Homeland Security appeared to confirm the letter, mocking Abrego Garcia in a post on X and quoting the letter.

“Homie is afraid of the entire western hemisphere,” it quipped.

The Washington Examiner reached out to ICE for confirmation and comment.

The announcement is a shift from the Department of Justice’s position stated last week, when it said the DHS would conduct a screening regarding his alleged fears of being deported to Uganda.

Among the 22 countries Abrego Garcia expressed fears about included Uganda, El Salvador, Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti.

UGANDA TO ACCEPT DEPORTED US IMMIGRANTS WHO FEAR THEIR HOME COUNTRY

Eswatini was one of the countries that accepted U.S. deals to house deportees unrelated to the country to reduce stress on the U.S. immigration system. The tactics started with El Salvador and soon expanded to Costa Rica, Panama, Rwanda, Uganda, and South Sudan.

The Trump administration hopes to use the tactic to lighten the load on its strained immigration system, as President Donald Trump attempts to carry out the largest deportation operation in United States history.