Overview

• U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara D. Holmes ordered his release by Friday afternoon with direct travel to Maryland, home detention, electronic monitoring, and his brother designated as custodian.
• U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis’s separate order places him back under ICE Baltimore supervision and requires advance notice before any removal move, though deportation remains legally possible.
• Abrego Garcia has pleaded not guilty to a two‑count human‑smuggling indictment tied to a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop, with trial scheduled for January 27, 2026.
• Federal judges in Tennessee rejected prosecutors’ claims that he is dangerous or tied to MS‑13 as insufficient to justify pretrial detention.
• His defense has moved to dismiss the case as a vindictive and selective prosecution, with the court seeking a government response early next month.