A Kosovo-born man who says he spent years working undercover for US intelligence and helped American authorities target terrorist networks is now facing deportation from the United States. Blerim Skoro, a 55-year-old father of three, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on August 3 while visiting an immigration office in New Jersey to renew his paperwork, according to CBS News.
Skoro’s lawyers have now gone to federal court to prevent his removal to Kosovo, arguing that the US government had previously recognised the danger he could face there because of his alleged work for American intelligence and law-enforcement agencies. The case places a former alleged counterterrorism informant at the centre of the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement campaign.
ICE Arrests Alleged Intelligence Informant
According to The Times, Skoro was at the New Jersey immigration office with his wife, Susan, when ICE officers detained him shortly after he checked in. He now remains in custody at the Elizabeth Detention Center in New Jersey while his lawyers challenge the attempted deportation.
His family says Skoro cannot safely return to Kosovo because of his alleged past intelligence work. His wife told CBS News that he had already risked his life working for US authorities and deserved protection from deportation.
Skoro currently works as a cab driver in Staten Island and has an American wife and children. His lawyers argue that his cooperation with US agencies effectively gave him an expectation that he would be allowed to remain in the United States.
From Heroin Trafficker To US Informant
Skoro’s relationship with American authorities reportedly began after he was arrested for heroin trafficking in 2000. He had arrived in the United States in 1994 after fleeing the conflict in Kosovo and seeking asylum.
While serving a federal prison sentence in Pennsylvania, Skoro says he developed connections with Islamic radicals. FBI records identify him as a confidential informant, and he claims his information subsequently attracted the attention of US intelligence agencies following the September 11 attacks.
Between 2002 and 2006, while imprisoned at FCI Allenwood, he provided information to the FBI concerning suspected terrorist networks. According to heavily redacted FBI documents obtained by CBS News, Skoro supplied information in an investigation connected to Osama bin Laden, with some of his intelligence described as “actionable” and “reliable”.
Did Skoro Infiltrate Al Qaeda?
Skoro’s most extraordinary claim is that his cooperation with US authorities continued after his deportation to Kosovo in 2007. He says the CIA recruited him to infiltrate al Qaeda from the Balkans, sending him on missions across countries including Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Pakistan and Egypt.
According to a previous legal declaration, his alleged undercover assignments continued until 2009. His lawyers say he worked with the CIA, FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration for almost a decade, describing his contribution as devoted and courageous service to US law enforcement.
Joshua Dratel, who previously represented Skoro, said his client had subsequently lived a law-abiding life with his family after what he described as a dangerous period working on behalf of the United States.
However, the full details of Skoro’s alleged intelligence work remain difficult to independently establish because much of the relevant government documentation is classified or heavily redacted.
Why Was He Previously Protected From Deportation?
Skoro returned to the United States in 2014 after claiming that his cover had been exposed and that he had been shot in the leg during an assassination attempt in Kosovo. He says he subsequently re-entered the US through Canada.
ICE took custody of Skoro in 2016 after the NYPD arrested him over his use of his daughter’s discounted public-transit card. His immigration status remained unresolved for years.
In November 2022, however, a federal judge ruled that Skoro could not be deported to Kosovo under the Convention Against Torture, citing the risk that he could be tortured or killed there.
The ruling did not grant him permanent residency or US citizenship. His lawyers now argue that the previous protection means ICE cannot simply remove him without further judicial involvement.
Lawyers Take Case To Federal Court
Skoro’s attorneys Rene Kathawala and Amy Greer filed a habeas corpus petition in federal court on August 4, one day after his latest arrest. They are seeking to prevent ICE from deporting him while the legal dispute over his protection remains unresolved.
Speaking from detention, Skoro told CBS News that he feared being sent back to Kosovo. The case now hinges on the scope of his previous protection under the Convention Against Torture and whether ICE can proceed with his removal under the current circumstances.
It also raises a broader question over how the United States handles former informants and alleged intelligence assets whose immigration status remains unresolved after their cooperation with American agencies.
Trump Administration’s Immigration Crackdown
Skoro’s detention comes as the Trump administration has intensified immigration enforcement and deportation efforts across the United States. Earlier this month, ICE deported a group of Mexican nationals who had previously received deferrals of removal under the Convention Against Torture.
Their deportations reportedly followed assurances from Mexico concerning their safety, according to The New York Times. Skoro’s case is potentially more complicated because his lawyers say his previous cooperation with US agencies is directly connected to the danger he faces if returned to Kosovo.