At least six Ugandan nationals now face deportation proceedings in the United States after being arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and listed on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) “Worst-of-the-Worst” database, signalling a major escalation in Washington’s crackdown on foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes.
The six men were apprehended in different states across the U.S. after convictions for violent and sexual offences, fraud and related crimes, authorities said. The DHS designation draws attention to non-citizens with what the agency describes as dangerous criminal records, a classification that typically triggers intensive removal proceedings.
Among those named are Hannington Mutenga, arrested in Salt Lake City, Utah, following an assault conviction; Kiwana Mukiibi of San Diego, California, convicted of aggravated assault with a weapon and simple assault; and Adrian Kawuba, held in White Deer, Pennsylvania, after a wire fraud conviction.
Also facing removal are Winner Mangeni, held in Lowell, Massachusetts, for assault and fleeing from justice; Derrick Sserwanja, arrested in Fort Snelling, Minnesota, after being convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor via telecommunications; and Daudah Mayanja, taken into custody in Bennington, Vermont, after a sex assault conviction.
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ICE officials emphasised that an arrest or listing does not automatically result in deportation. Individuals are typically detained in immigration custody while their cases proceed through complex legal channels that include immigration courts and possible appeals, lawyers say.
The moves come amid a broader, intensified effort by the U.S. government to remove non-citizens convicted of crimes. The policy has drawn mixed reactions, with U.S. authorities describing it as necessary for public safety and critics warning about due-process concerns and the treatment of migrants without strong ties to their countries of origin.
So far, the Ugandan government has not publicly confirmed whether Kampala will be formally asked to repatriate the men, though in past months Ugandan officials publicly denied reaching broad agreements with Washington to host U.S. deportees, saying the country lacks the infrastructure to accommodate large numbers of expelled migrants.
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