Former CIA Informant Faces Deportation Despite Contributions

The Trump administration is attempting to deport Blerim Skoro, a self-proclaimed CIA informant who infiltrated al Qaeda after 9/11. Skoro, a father of three originally from Kosovo, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents while renewing his paperwork in New Jersey.

Skoro’s lawyers have taken legal action to stop his deportation, arguing that he was promised residency for his significant contributions as a ‘CIA agent.’ Skoro has been living in Staten Island, New York, working as a cab driver with his American wife and children.

In 2022, Skoro received a deferral of removal due to the threat of capture and torture by terrorists if deported. This protection stemmed in part from his role in assisting with the arrests of members of al Qaeda, al Shabaab, and Hezbollah.

‘I never thought they were going to betray me like this,’ Skoro told CBS News from Elizabeth Detention Center in New Jersey. ‘Please, if I die, I should die in this country so my kids can bury me.’

Skoro’s involvement with U.S. intelligence began following a 2000 arrest for drug trafficking while trying to support his children and refugee parents after fleeing the Kosovo conflict. In jail, he became acquainted with Islamic radicals and later provided intelligence to the FBI regarding several terrorists.

Despite his work, Skoro was deported to Kosovo in 2007, where he claims to have continued as a CIA informant, infiltrating al Qaeda from the Balkans until 2009 before returning to the U.S. in 2014.

He played a role in the arrest of Brooklyn terrorist Betim Kaziu and claims to have helped thwart potential uranium shipments to Kosovo. In 2020, Skoro submitted a legal declaration describing his covert activities, including giving information to his CIA handler.

His attorney, Joshua Dratel, noted Skoro’s law-abiding life over the past decade and his bravery during his intelligence work.

‘He can’t get deported anywhere safely. We’re always looking over our shoulders,’ stated Susan Skoro, his wife.

Skoro originally fled to America in 1994, claiming asylum after deserting the Yugoslav Army, and later reentered the U.S. illegally via Canada in 2014. He has been entangled in a prolonged immigration battle since an NYPD arrest in 2016.

A 2022 court ruling barred his deportation due to the risk of torture and murder, citing the Convention Against Torture. However, ICE commenced deportation proceedings without federal court approval, similar to recent cases involving Mexican nationals.

‘This is yet another case that concerns whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can — without notice, reason, or process — arbitrarily arrest and indefinitely detain a noncitizen,’ Skoro’s amended petition stated.

The government has been required to respond by a court order. Requests for comment from the CIA and FBI have gone unanswered.