world 21 September 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Ugandan National Faces Federal Charges in US for Alleged ICE Officer Assault
A Ugandan citizen, Donald Atuhairwe Kiiza, is facing federal charges in the United States after allegedly biting and assaulting an ICE officer during an attempted escape while on a deportation flight from Phoenix, Arizona. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/ugandan-facing-federal-charges-in-us-after-biting-ice-officer-during-deportation-flight-5603858
A Ugandan national, Donald Atuhairwe Kiiza, is confronting federal criminal charges in the United States after an alleged assault on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer. The incident occurred on May 28, 2026, at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport during a deportation transit.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Atuhairwe had been ordered deported on May 6, 2025. Two ICE officers were escorting him from El Paso, Texas, to Phoenix, en route to Kampala, Uganda.
During a layover in Phoenix, authorities claim Atuhairwe attempted to escape, pushing bystanders aside. When apprehended, he allegedly assumed a fighting stance and, upon being restrained, bit one officer’s left hand and then bit the right ring finger of another officer, causing it to bleed.
Atuhairwe was subsequently subdued and moved to a secure area. His case is part of a broader enforcement initiative in Arizona, which saw 271 immigration-related prosecutions in the week of May 30 to June 5, 2026, including illegal re-entry and human smuggling charges.
Federal authorities emphasized that a criminal complaint is an accusation and that Atuhairwe, like all defendants, is presumed innocent until proven guilty. This enforcement action is reportedly part of “Operation Take Back America,” a nationwide effort to reduce unlawful immigration and combat transnational crime.