GREENBELT, Md. (FLUXDAILY) — A federal judge in Maryland has ordered Kilmar Abrego Garcia to be freed from immigration detention, a significant ruling in his ongoing legal fight against deportation.
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) must release Abrego Garcia immediately. In her ruling, she highlighted that his detention by ICE lacked lawful authority.
“Since Abrego Garcia’s return from wrongful detention in El Salvador, he has been re-detained, again without lawful authority,” Judge Xinis noted, granting his petition for immediate release.
Abrego Garcia, originally from El Salvador, has lived in Maryland for several years with his American wife and child. His immigration journey began when he entered the U.S. illegally as a teenager. A 2019 immigration court ruling barred his deportation to El Salvador due to threats from gangs targeting his family.
In March, however, he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, an incident that drew significant media attention and public outrage against Trump-era immigration policies.
Following his deportation, which he returned from under a court order, ICE has attempted to deport him to various African countries. Abrego Garcia's legal challenge contends that the Trump administration is using the deportation process against him as retaliation for his mistaken removal.
In addition to fighting his deportation, Abrego Garcia is also in the process of petitioning to reopen his immigration case to seek asylum in the United States, further complicating his legal status. He is currently facing federal charges in Tennessee related to human smuggling, to which he has pleaded not guilty, asserting that the prosecution is vindictive.
