Well, turns out playing professional football doesn't grant you permanent residency, and a former Indianapolis Colts linebacker just learned that lesson the hard way.
Daniel Ogama Adongo, a 37 year old originally from Kenya, was officially removed from the United States by ICE agents operating out of Chicago, as The American Tribune reported. The guy had racked up quite the collection of arrests over roughly ten years, like he was trying to complete some kind of criminal bingo card. His greatest hits include a conviction for criminal mischief with property damage back in 2020, which earned him a lovely twelve month vacation behind bars. He also picked up charges for felony intimidation, battery, and disorderly conduct along the way.
Here's where it gets spicy. Adongo apparently let his visa expire back in 2016 and just sort of stuck around. Thanks to the Laken Riley Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law, individuals who are in the country without legal status and have been convicted of specific crimes must be detained without bond. An immigration judge ordered his removal in March 2026, and on June 20, that order was officially executed.
ICE Chicago Assistant Field Office Director Douglas Thompson was pretty blunt about the whole thing, calling Adongo "a dangerous individual" and saying the community is now safer. Thompson also dropped this gem: those who break immigration law face equal accountability, "including former professional athletes." So no, your NFL highlight reel does not count as a green card application.
Adongo originally arrived in America as a rugby recruit and eventually played two seasons with the Colts from 2013 through 2015. His time with the team ended in December 2015 after a woman living with him filed a police report. According to that report, she had texted a friend requesting help, and that friend called the cops. When officers arrived, the woman declined medical attention and wouldn't explain what prompted her message.
According to People, his family has stated that Adongo struggles with multiple mental health conditions, which they believe are connected to years of playing both professional football and rugby. Both sports are notorious for causing traumatic brain injuries over time. Supporting that claim, Adongo spent time at a psychiatric facility in 2017, and after a professional examination, a judge found him to be incompetent.
ICE released a statement noting that roughly 70 percent of their arrests involve individuals charged with or convicted of crimes in the U.S., and that over 3 million people without legal status have now left the country. The agency wrapped things up with a warning that could double as a movie tagline: if you enter the country illegally, they will locate you, arrest you, and send you packing.
Regardless of anyone's feelings about the situation, the current administration has made it crystal clear that criminal history plus expired immigration status equals a one way ticket home.
Read more American news stories at: The American Tribune
