Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been released from jail after a judge ruled the Trump administration had detained him without lawful authority, his lawyer says. A US court ruled that the government did not have a removal order for Mr Abrego Garcia, which blocks it from deporting him at this juncture. Mr Abrego Garcia, who is married to an American citizen and has been living in Maryland for years, illegally came to the US from El Salvador when he was a teenager. He was mistakenly deported back to El Salvador in March and brought back to the US to face criminal charges. However, Thursday's ruling may not be the final word as the justice department is expected to appeal. Mr Abrego Garcia's attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, told CBS News that his client was officially out of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. The order by US District Judge Paula Xinis means Mr Abrego Garcia can at least temporarily return to his family in Maryland. We remain hopeful that this marks a turning point for Mr Abrego Garcia, who has endured more than anyone should ever have to, he said. A Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman criticized the ruling, calling it naked judicial activism by an Obama-appointed judge. This case became a focal point in the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration after Mr Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador in March, despite a 2019 court order barring his deportation. The administration has alleged Mr Abrego Garcia was a member of the MS-13 criminal organisation, which he has denied. In 2019, he was arrested and detained by federal immigration authorities, with a judge granting him protection from deportation due to the risk of persecution in El Salvador. After a series of legal battles and an order from the US Supreme Court, he was returned to the US in June. His case raises questions about immigration detention practices and legal rights.