Topline
Federal prosecutors want to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia after he is released from a Tennessee jail and before his trial on human smuggling charges, according to multiple outlets, opposing his attorneys’ attempt to return him to Maryland, where he lived with his wife and children.
Katheryn Millwee holds a portrait of Kilmar Abrego Garcia outside the federal courthouse Wednesday, … More
Key Facts
Prosecutors for the Justice Department told a judge Thursday they want Abrego Garcia deported to a “third country”—instead of El Salvador, where he was initially deported in March over an “administrative error,” the Associated Press reported.
The Nashville, Tennessee-based federal judge who ordered Abrego Garcia’s release Wednesday chose to keep Abrego Garcia in jail a few days longer over concerns he would be quickly deported upon release.
Abrego Garcia’s release will not happen before Friday afternoon, according to Politico, noting the Tennessee judge did not explicitly say when Abrego Garcia would be let go.
Abrego Garcia is facing federal smuggling charges by the Justice Department, though there is not yet a trial date.
Attorneys for Abrego Garcia asked the Tennessee judge to order the man’s return to Maryland, where he would stay with his brother, as a way to prevent his deportation, Politico added.
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What Are Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s Charges?
Abrego Garcia was indicted by a federal grand jury on two criminal charges of conspiracy to transport aliens and unlawful transportation of undocumented aliens, counts linked to a 2022 traffic stop in which he was pulled over for speeding. Attorney General Pam Bondi alleged Abrego Garcia’s activities were part of a “full-time job.” Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported in March to El Salvador, was brought back to the U.S. after the Trump administration revealed the charges. Previously, multiple Trump officials and El Salvador President Nayib Bukele insisted they did not have the power or authority to bring Abrego Garcia back to U.S. soil.
Key Background
Abrego Garcia worked as a construction worker in Maryland before his deportation in March, living with his wife and three children. He was granted withholding of removal in 2019, providing him temporary protections from deportation and work authorization. The deportation protection is a crux within the lawsuit challenging his removal from the U.S., which became a flashpoint for President Donald Trump’s sweeping anti-immigration agenda. The Trump administration did not charge Abrego Garcia with a crime when he was deported, arguing in the proceeding weeks his removal was justified because he was allegedly a member of the MS-13 gang. His attorneys have denied associations with the gang.
Further Reading
Here’s How Many Times The White House Insisted Abrego Garcia Wouldn’t Be Brought Back To The U.S. (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2025/06/26/trump-administration-says-it-plans-to-deport-abrego-garcia-before-he-stands-trial/