US Plans Deportation of Salvadoran Immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran immigrant previously deported under contentious circumstances, was released from a Tennessee jail and faces potential deportation to Uganda after rejecting a plea deal that would have sent him to Costa Rica. His initial deportation to El Salvador, despite a court order protecting him due to credible threats from gangs, was later admitted by the U.S. government as an administrative error, leading to his return. The Trump administration has charged him with human smuggling, charges his attorneys argue are retaliatory. ICE has ordered Garcia to report to its Baltimore office as part of the deportation process to Uganda, a country recently agreed to accept certain deportees, since he cannot be sent back to El Salvador due to a non-removal order. The case has drawn polarized reactions: the administration labels him as a dangerous gang member and trafficker, while his defense portrays him as a victim of wrongful deportation and politically motivated prosecution. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has strongly condemned his release, pledging to ensure Garcia faces justice and is removed from the U.S.