Particle.news
Download on the App Store
86 ARTICLES
·
last mo.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia Returned to U.S. After Wrongful Deportation to Face Federal Smuggling Charges

His return follows months of resistance by the Trump administration to court orders to facilitate his repatriation before he faces a human smuggling trial.

Image
Image
U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) meets with Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia (L) at an undisclosed location on April 17, 2025 in San Salvador, El Salvador. Photo by Sen. Van Hollen's Office via Getty Images
Image

Overview

  • He was deported from Maryland to El Salvador on March 15 despite a 2019 immigration judge’s order barring his removal over fears of gang persecution and the Supreme Court later ruled the deportation illegal.
  • Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on June 6 that Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele agreed to extradite him after U.S. officials presented an arrest warrant.
  • A Tennessee grand jury unsealed a two-count indictment filed May 21 charging him with conspiracy to transport undocumented migrants—including alleged MS-13 members—across Texas into other states.
  • Abrego Garcia’s attorneys deny any MS-13 ties and describe the prosecution as an abuse of power, saying his due process rights were violated by months of secrecy and delay.
  • The case has become a flashpoint over executive defiance of the judiciary, highlighting tensions between President Trump’s immigration policies and court-mandated protections.