Trump Attributes Abrego Garcia Return to Justice Department Amid Deportation Controversy

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the Department of Justice, not himself, made the decision to bring back Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man mistakenly deported from Maryland to El Salvador, to face criminal charges of transporting illegal immigrants within the U.S. Abrego Garcia, whose wife and child are U.S. citizens, was deported months before charges were filed, despite a 2019 U.S. immigration judge's order barring his deportation to El Salvador due to likely gang persecution. The Trump administration has labeled Abrego Garcia as an MS-13 gang member, an accusation his lawyers deny and call "fantastical," arguing he is a sheet metal worker unfairly targeted. The case has sparked controversy, with critics viewing it as emblematic of the administration's aggressive immigration crackdown and disregard for civil liberties, while some Republicans have criticized Democratic support for Abrego Garcia. Abrego Garcia appeared in federal court in Nashville and is set for arraignment, with Trump expressing confidence it would be "a very easy case" for prosecutors. Until then, he remains in federal custody and would face deportation to El Salvador after serving any sentence.