Kilmar Abrego García, a Salvadoran immigrant who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador earlier this year, has been released from a Tennessee jail and is now back in Maryland awaiting trial on human smuggling charges. His release, however, is overshadowed by new threats from U.S. immigration authorities. After declining a plea deal that would have resulted in deportation to Costa Rica, García’s legal team was informed that the Trump administration intends to deport him to Uganda, a country that recently agreed to accept certain deportees from the U.S.
García’s case has drawn widespread attention due to the circumstances surrounding his initial deportation. In March, despite a 2019 court ruling granting him protection from removal due to credible threats of gang violence in El Salvador, he was deported under the Alien Enemies Act. During his time in El Salvador, García reportedly endured severe mistreatment in prison, including beatings and psychological torture. The U.S. government later admitted that his deportation was an “administrative error” and facilitated his return in June.
Upon his return, García was charged with human smuggling based on a 2022 traffic stop involving nine passengers. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, asserting that they are retaliatory actions stemming from his legal challenges against the wrongful deportation. His attorneys argue that the government’s actions violate his due process rights and seek the dismissal of the charges.
The threat of deportation to Uganda has raised further concerns among immigrant rights advocates, who view it as a continuation of the administration’s aggressive deportation tactics. García’s legal team is contesting the move, citing a federal judge’s order requiring ICE to provide 72 hours’ notice before any deportation, excluding weekends. As the legal proceedings unfold, García remains under tight supervision, including electronic monitoring and home confinement, while awaiting trial in January.
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