Tennessee Stop Sparks Legal Battle, ICE Controversy

Recently released bodycam footage from a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop shows Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, being pulled over with eight passengers, raising state troopers' suspicions of human trafficking. Officers noted Garcia was carrying $1,400 in cash, had a suspended Maryland license, and changed his story about his destination and purpose. A background check flagged him as a suspected gang member, though he has not been convicted of gang-related crimes. Despite suspicions and a call to ICE, federal authorities did not detain Garcia at the time, and he was released with a citation. Garcia was later deported to El Salvador under the Trump administration and sent to a maximum-security prison, though his legal team denies gang affiliations. The U.S. Supreme Court has ordered the government to facilitate his possible return, making the case a flashpoint in debates over immigration enforcement and due process.