US Illegally Deports, Then Returns, Abrego Garcia

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national, was deported to El Salvador in March in violation of a 2019 immigration judge's order that protected him from removal due to credible gang threats, but he was later returned to the U.S. following court and political pressure. The Justice Department now plans to deport him to a third country if he is released from custody before standing trial on human smuggling charges in Tennessee, contradicting earlier White House statements that he would first face trial and possible prison time in the U.S. Abrego Garcia's legal team, along with the presiding federal judge in Maryland, have expressed concern over the administration's inconsistent and opaque actions. Judge Paula Xinis has refused to dismiss the civil case against the Trump administration regarding the illegal deportation and is weighing due process protections for any future deportation efforts. The DOJ has not identified which third country would receive Abrego Garcia, increasing uncertainty in the case. The situation underscores persistent legal and procedural ambiguities in the government's handling of high-profile immigration matters.