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

The U.S. government is attempting to deport a man who claims to be a former CIA spy, despite his significant role in counter-terrorism efforts after 9/11. Blerim Skoro, a Kosovo-born father of three, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents earlier this month while at an immigration office in New Jersey to renew his paperwork.

Skoro's lawyers are fighting his deportation, asserting that he was promised residency in the United States for his years of work as a "CIA agent." They have filed a federal court motion to halt the deportation, emphasizing that Skoro, 55, has an American wife and children and was granted a deferral of removal in 2022 due to the danger he would face if returned to his home country.

“

I never thought they were going to betray me like this.

According to his legal team, Skoro's assistance was crucial in securing the arrests of members from al Qaeda, al Shabaab, and Hezbollah. He expressed deep betrayal, stating, "I never thought they were going to betray me like this." Speaking from the Elizabeth Detention Center in New Jersey, he pleaded, "Please, if I die, I should die in this country so my kids can bury me."

Skoro's entanglement with U.S. intelligence began in 2000 while he was incarcerated for drug trafficking. He states that after fleeing the Kosovo conflict in the 1990s and struggling to support his family, he became involved with an Albanian criminal gang. While in prison, he connected with Islamic radicals, a connection he claims the CIA later exploited after 9/11. He provided intelligence to the FBI on individuals later convicted in terrorism-related cases, including members of the Lackawanna Six and a Hezbollah operative.

“

Please, if I die, I should die in this country so my kids can bury me.