Authorities stated his posts featured calls for attacks on Tigrayans, with some messages supporting their “cleansing” from Ethiopia.
According to ICE officials, the posts drew the attention of investigators, who discovered that Bogale openly identified himself as a Fano member online.
“Our officers continue to effect the removal of suspected human rights violators to their home countries,” said ERO Phoenix acting Field Office Director Christopher McGregor.
“ERO officers are committed to public safety and national security, and removing this individual from the United States serves both those priorities.”
The Amhara militia, which has been involved in various conflicts in Ethiopia in recent years, has been designated by US immigration authorities as a Tier III terrorist organization for immigration enforcement purposes.
Bogale’s case was presented to an immigration court in Baltimore after the posts were discovered.
An immigration judge eventually dismissed his application for immigration benefits, citing evidence of his sympathy for violent activities and ethnic persecution.
The legal processes were conducted by ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor in Baltimore, with extra assistance from the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center, a US government body that examines people accused of human rights violations and war crimes.
According to authorities, Bogale, an Ethiopian native and citizen, entered the United States without being inspected on September 16, 2023.
Two days later, he was approached by authorities from the United States Customs and Border Protection, who began removal proceedings against him.
The removal shows the increased attention by US immigration officials to foreign people who advocate or support violent extremist groups online.
Amhara militia (Fano)
The term “Amhara militia” most frequently refers to Fano, a loosely structured armed movement made up primarily of Amharas, one of Ethiopia’s main ethnic groupings.
Fano is not a structured army, but rather a network of local militias, youth groups, and volunteer warriors based primarily in Ethiopia’s Amhara region.
The term “Fano” has historically been associated with Ethiopian rebel activities.
It was first used to characterize irregular fighters who opposed foreign occupation during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War in the 1930s.
In recent times, Amhara nationalist militias have appropriated the moniker, claiming to preserve the Amhara people’s political and territorial rights.
Fano gained prominence during the Tigray War (2020-2022), when Amhara militias fought with Ethiopia’s National Defense Force and regional security forces against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
Throughout the conflict, Fano fighters fought in contested territory between the Amhara and Tigray provinces, mainly in western and southern Tigray.
After the main phase of the Tigray war concluded in November 2022, tensions between Fano militants and the federal government led by Abiy Ahmed grew.
In 2023, hostilities erupted between Fano militias and federal soldiers as the government attempted to disband regional special forces and integrate them into the national army.
Many Fano groups opposed the action, claiming it undermined Amhara regional security.
