Kenyan in the US facing deportation after rape conviction
Jackson Kabut Gichema, the Kenyan national who was convicted of rape in Baltimore County, Maryland.
What you need to know:
- Details regarding the victim and the specific circumstances of the offense were not disclosed in the ICE announcement.
- Gichema’s journey to the United States began about 23 years ago when he is said to have landed in the country on a visitor’s visa.
A Kenyan national in the United States is facing deportation after he was convicted of rape.
Jackson Kabut Gichema, 48, was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Baltimore County, Maryland, and is being processed to be deported back to Kenya.
In a statement shared on X, US immigration officials report said Gichema arrived in the US from Kenya some 23 years ago on a visitor's visa, but he did not leave when his authorised stay expired.
"ICE Baltimore arrested Jackson Kabut Gichema, a criminal illegal alien from Kenya, convicted of rape in Baltimore County," ICE stated on X, Tuesday March 24.
Authorities in the State of Maryland where Gichema was arrested and detained added, "Gichema entered the US on a visitor’s visa in 2003, but failed to depart after his stay. He has a final order of removal and will remain in ICE custody."
Court records indicate that Gichema appealed his case to the Maryland Court of Special Appeals in 2011, but the appeal did not succeed in overturning his conviction.
He had been incarcerated in Maryland Department of Corrections facilities, most recently at the Hagerstown site, prior to his transfer to immigration detention.
ICE characterised the arrest as part of ongoing efforts to remove non-citizens with serious criminal convictions.
Violent sex crimes
The agency has reported several similar cases in Maryland recently, including individuals convicted of second-degree rape.
Local law enforcement in the State managed the initial rape investigation and prosecution. Details regarding the victim and the specific circumstances of the offense were not disclosed in the ICE announcement.
Gichema’s journey to the United States began about 23 years ago when he is said to have landed in the country on a visitor’s visa.
After his visa expired, he continued to stay in America without immigration legal status.
Immigration authorities eventually issued a final removal order, but just like many others like him, enforcement for his removal was not effected.
With President Trump making illegal immigration as his key political agenda, immigration officials have swung into action, indiscriminately detaining everyone, sometimes those with legal status, in their efforts to effect the president’s policy.
"These operations target public safety threats, including those convicted of violent sex crimes," an ICE spokesperson stated online.
The case of Gichema is part of a broader initiative by ICE to prioritise criminal offenders.
In Maryland alone, the agency has reported hundreds of arrests involving individuals with criminal records since the beginning of 2026.
ICE has confirmed that Gichema has a final order for removal and is currently in immigration detention awaiting deportation.
Authorities state Gichema will remain in ICE custody until his removal from the country is arranged.
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