Daniel Ojambo Adongo, a former Indianapolis Colts player, has been detained for months by ICE after repeated arrests and immigration charges tied to the Laken Riley Act.
A former NFL player with a history of repeated arrests has been held for months by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, underscoring how quickly a criminal case and immigration enforcement can collide.
Daniel Ojambo Adongo, 36, is being detained at the Miami Correctional Facility in Indiana, a large Midwestern detention center, where he has remained in custody for several months, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Adongo made a rare mark in 2013 as the first Kenyan to sign with an NFL team, appearing in a limited role for the Indianapolis Colts before being released in 2015.
DHS said Adongo was arrested by federal immigration agents on September 11, 2025. A DHS spokesperson told Newsweek that he has been arrested multiple times by Indiana law enforcement over the past nine years for allegations that included intimidation, battery, and disorderly conduct.
The department added that in 2020, Adongo was convicted of criminal mischief involving property damage. DHS said his latest criminal charges fall under the Laken Riley Act, a federal law requiring detention without bond for undocumented immigrants charged with certain crimes.
DHS also said Adongo overstayed his visa in 2016 after his NFL career ended in 2015.
Efforts to reach an attorney for Adongo were unsuccessful, and attempts to contact family members have not yet succeeded, according to the report.
Adongo’s legal and personal history has long been intertwined with mental health concerns. Before transitioning to American football, he played rugby union for major South African teams, including the Sharks, the Bulls and the Southern Kings.
After moving to the NFL, his life later became shaped by repeated encounters with law enforcement and what court filings and reports described as ongoing mental illness. The Indianapolis Star reported that people close to him linked his struggles to possible brain injuries from his playing career.
Court filings cited by the newspaper described Adongo as “acutely psychotic,” referencing traumatic brain injury sustained during his playing career, and officials said he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
In a letter submitted to the court. his mother. Betty Adongo. described him as hardworking and disciplined. pointing to his determination as the reason he secured an NFL opportunity.. She asked a judge to release him so he could receive medical and psychological evaluations. citing what she described as “mental anguish” and potential neurological injuries. the Indianapolis Star reported.
His earlier criminal record began well before the immigration case. Police were called twice to his home in Fishers, Indiana, in October and December 2015 over domestic disturbance allegations, and multiple reports said no charges followed either incident.
A year later, Adongo was arrested in Indianapolis after allegedly threatening an Uber driver with a hatchet. The Indianapolis Star said he was charged with intimidation and criminal mischief.
In 2017, a Marion County judge ordered a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he was competent to stand trial. The newspaper reported that he was found incompetent and transferred to a state psychiatric hospital.
The case resumed in 2018 after he was deemed competent, but in 2019 he was arrested for failing to appear in court. Another competency evaluation followed, and the Indianapolis Star reported he was found incompetent again and returned to psychiatric care before later being ruled competent.
He ultimately pleaded guilty in 2019 to criminal mischief, a Class A misdemeanor, and was sentenced to a one-year term, with court records indicating he was ordered to serve about six months.
Later Indiana filings, the Indianapolis Star reported, show that in 2020 and again in 2021 his mother sought and was granted legal guardianship over him because of ongoing concerns about his mental health.
Adongo also faced additional charges, including battery, disorderly conduct, and intimidation, but the outlet reported those cases were dismissed without convictions.
Public booking records show that in July 2025, Adongo was arrested in St. Joseph County on charges including intimidation, disorderly conduct, and battery resulting in bodily injury. In September 2025, he was booked in Clay County, Indiana, on an immigration hold.
The immigration process has continued while he remains in custody. DHS said Adongo was issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge on March 23, 2026, and that he will remain in ICE custody until his deportation.
ICE detention ex-NFL player Daniel Ojambo Adongo Laken Riley Act immigration enforcement Indiana