Former Indianapolis Colts Player Deported By ICE

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Jul 25, 2026 5:39 PM ET

Let it be known that having NFL experience is not a protection from being deported when the Department of Justice gets involved. Former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Daniel Adongo has learned that the hard way.

According to FOX 59, Adongo was deported by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on June 20 following an order from a DOJ immigration judge to have him removed on March 23. Per the report, Adongo overstayed his visa in 2016 and has been arrested multiple times in the years since on a variety of charges.

Adongo played five games, mostly as a special teams player, for the Colts between 2013 and 2015. He was released in 2015 following a police incident in suburban Indianapolis.

"Adongo was arrested multiple times in Indiana over the past nine years for crimes including felony intimidation, battery and disorderly conduct. He was convicted of criminal mischief with damage in 2020 and sentenced to 364 days in jail, federal prosecutors said," the report said.

This CRIMINAL and former NFL linebacker has been DEPORTED after he broke our laws.

Daniel Ogama Adongo, from Kenya, has a criminal record in the U.S. that includes arrests for criminal mischief with damage, felony intimidation, battery and disorderly conduct.

Our communities… https://t.co/NNsS6tVHtd pic.twitter.com/PPdYCBcq1P
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) July 25, 2026

ICE Weighs In

In a statement, ICE Chicago Assistant Field Office Director Douglas Thompson referred to Adongo as a "dangerous individual" that was deemed a threat to the community.

“This dangerous individual was clearly a threat to the community, which is now safer since he’s been removed,” Thompson said. “Those who violate immigration law are held equally accountable, including former professional athletes.”

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - AUGUST 18: A Indianapolis Colts helmet sits on the field during the Indianapolis Colts training camp practice on August 18, 2020 at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Born in Kenya, Adongo actually played rugby and never even played gridiron football before moving to the United States and signing with the Colts. Between 2011 and 2013, Adongo played for a variety of teams in South Africa and New Zealand before switching to football.

Adongo attended University of Pretoria in South Africa and played for South Africa's Sharks Rugby team at the youth level from 2007 to 2010.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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