Overview

• Magistrate Barbara Holmes ordered his release from Tennessee custody on August 22, allowing him to reunite with his family in Maryland under supervision.
• Within hours, ICE emailed counsel giving 72 hours’ notice of planned removal to Uganda and directed him to report to the Baltimore field office on Monday.
• Defense attorneys say he rejected a plea offer that paired a guilty plea with deportation to Costa Rica, and they have moved to dismiss the case as vindictive prosecution.
• Ábrego García was erroneously deported to El Salvador in March despite a 2019 order barring his return there and was brought back in June after court intervention, with filings alleging abuse at CECOT.
• He has pleaded not guilty to federal conspiracy-to-transport charges tied to a 2022 traffic stop, and a January 2026 trial is scheduled as prior rulings require advance notice before any third-country removal.