A former NFL player with a history of arrests has been detained for months by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Daniel Ojambo Adongo, 36, is being held at the Miami Correctional Facility in Indiana, one of the Midwest’s largest immigration detention centers, where he has remained in custody for several months.
Adongo made history in 2013 as the first Kenyan to sign with an NFL team, appearing in a few games for the Indianapolis Colts before his release in 2015.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Newsweek that Adongo was arrested by federal immigration agents on September 11, 2025.
“He has been arrested multiple times by Indiana law enforcement over the past nine years for crimes including intimidation, battery, and disorderly conduct,” the agency spokesperson told Newsweek.
DHS said that in 2020, Adongo was convicted of criminal mischief involving property damage. The agency said Adongo’s latest criminal charges fall under the Laken Riley Act, a federal law requiring the detention without bond of undocumented immigrants charged with certain crimes.
“He overstayed his visa in 2016 after his NFL career ended in 2015,” a DHS spokesperson said.
Newsweek could not immediately identify or reach an attorney representing Adongo in his immigration case. Attempts to reach members of his family have so far proved unsuccessful.
Who Is Daniel Ojambo Adongo?
Adongo began his career as a rugby union player, appearing for leading South African sides the Sharks, the Bulls and the Southern Kings. He subsequently made a rapid transition to the NFL despite never having previously played football, which drew international attention at the time.
In the years that followed, however, his life was marked by repeated contact with law enforcement and ongoing struggles with mental illness, arrests, psychiatric hospitalizations and behavioral episodes.
According to the Indianapolis Star, Adongo’s mental health struggles have been linked by those close to him to possible brain injuries from his playing career.
Court filings cited in the newspaper report describe him as “acutely psychotic,” with references to traumatic brain injury sustained during his playing career, while officials said he has been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
In a letter submitted to the court, Adongo’s mother, Betty Adongo, described her son as a hardworking and disciplined young man whose determination helped him earn his NFL breakthrough. She asked the judge to release him so he could receive medical and psychological evaluations, citing what she described as “mental anguish” and potential neurological injuries, according to The Indianapolis Star.
Legal History
Police were called twice to his home in Fishers, Indiana, in October and December 2015 over domestic disturbance allegations. According to multiple reports, no charges were filed following either incident.
A year later, Adongo was arrested in Indianapolis after allegedly threatening an Uber driver with a hatchet. Court records cited by the Indianapolis Star show 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. According to the Indianapolis Star, Adongo was found incompetent and transferred to a state psychiatric hospital for treatment.
Public records show the case resumed in 2018 after he was deemed competent, but in 2019, he was arrested again after failing to appear in court, prompting another competency evaluation. The Indianapolis Star reported he was once again found incompetent and returned to psychiatric care before later being ruled competent.
He ultimately pleaded guilty to criminal mischief in 2019, a Class A misdemeanor, and was sentenced to a one-year term, with court records indicating he was ordered to serve about six months.
Subsequent filings in Indiana show his mother sought and was granted legal guardianship over him in 2020 and again in 2021, because of ongoing concerns about his mental health, The Indianapolis Star reported.
Adongo faced additional charges, including battery, disorderly conduct, and intimidation, but those cases were ultimately dismissed without convictions, the outlet reported.
Public booking records show Adongo was arrested in St. Joseph County in July 2025 on charges including intimidation, disorderly conduct, and battery resulting in bodily injury.
Separate public records show that in September 2025, he was booked in Clay County, Indiana, on an immigration hold.
What Happens Next
Adongo was issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge on March 23, 2026, and will remain in ICE custody until his deportation, DHS said.
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