Former Kenyan rugby international Daniel Adongo deported from US after visa overstay and criminal convictions

Former Kenyan rugby international and ex-NFL player Daniel Adongo has been deported from the United States after immigration authorities found that he had overstayed his visa and accumulated a criminal record during his time in the country.

The 37-year-old was removed from the US by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on June 20 after an immigration judge ordered his deportation on March 23, 2026. According to US authorities, Adongo remained in the country for nearly a decade after his visa expired in 2016, a year after his professional American football career ended.

ICE said Adongo was detained under the Laken Riley Act, legislation signed into law by President Donald Trump that requires the detention of undocumented immigrants convicted of certain criminal offences while awaiting immigration proceedings.

Federal authorities said Adongo was convicted in 2020 of criminal mischief involving property damage and sentenced to 364 days in jail. They also said he had been arrested several times in Indiana over the past decade on allegations including felony intimidation, battery and disorderly conduct, although some of those charges were later dismissed.

ICE Chicago Assistant Field Office Director Douglas Thompson defended the deportation, saying public safety remained a priority.

"This dangerous individual was clearly a threat to the community, which is now safer since he's been removed," Thompson said, adding that immigration laws apply equally to everyone, "including former professional athletes."

Adongo rose to international prominence after making a remarkable transition from rugby to American football. After representing Kenya in rugby, he was signed by the Indianapolis Colts in 2013 despite having no prior experience in American football, becoming the first Kenyan to play in the National Football League.

His athleticism and rapid development earned him a place on the Colts' roster, where he spent two seasons, primarily playing on special teams, before leaving the franchise in 2015.

His deportation brings to a close a decade-long immigration case that unfolded after his football career ended. The Department of Homeland Security said the removal is part of a broader immigration enforcement campaign targeting undocumented individuals with criminal convictions.

Adongo's case marks a dramatic fall for one of Kenya's most recognisable sporting exports. His journey from the rugby fields of Kenya to the NFL was once celebrated as a groundbreaking achievement for African sport.