He spied for the U.S. in the war on terror. Now ICE wants to deport him.

Blerim Skoro, who alleges he worked as a CIA spy and informant after 9/11, has been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and faces deportation. His lawyers argue he was promised residency for his service, which included helping convict members of al Qaeda, al Shabaab, and Hezbollah. A federal judge had previously barred his deportation due to the risk of torture, but this protection did not grant him legal residency.

• Blerim Skoro, a self-described former CIA spy who claims to have infiltrated al Qaeda after 9/11, has been arrested by ICE agents in New Jersey.
• Skoro’s lawyers are seeking to halt his deportation, stating he was promised U.S. residency for his extensive work assisting in the conviction of terrorists.
• He was granted a deferral of removal in 2022 due to the risk of capture and torture if deported, based in part on his help in arresting members of al Qaeda, al Shabaab, and Hezbollah.
• Skoro alleges his relationship with U.S. intelligence began when he was a confidential informant while serving time for drug trafficking.
• He claims to have gathered intelligence from within a federal prison on individuals linked to terrorist groups and later, allegedly worked undercover for the CIA from 2007 to 2009 in various Middle Eastern countries.
• Skoro’s lawyers filed a habeas corpus petition arguing that ICE failed to obtain judicial permission before arresting and detaining him, despite his Convention Against Torture protections.
• A federal judge has ordered the government to respond to Skoro’s petition.