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Kilmar Abrego Garcia Returns to U.S. for Human Smuggling Trial

His return exposes a standoff between executive power and court authority after the Supreme Court ruled his deportation illegal

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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
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Overview

  • Abrego Garcia was flown back from El Salvador on June 6 to face a sealed two-count federal indictment in Tennessee charging him with conspiracy to transport undocumented migrants within the United States.
  • He was wrongfully deported in March under the Trump administration’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act despite a 2019 withholding order barring his removal to El Salvador.
  • The unsealed May 21 indictment alleges that over nine years he and co-conspirators moved hundreds of migrants, including alleged MS-13 members, across state lines for profit.
  • His defense team argues the administration’s delay in repatriating him violated due process and amounted to an abuse of executive authority.
  • Attorney General Pam Bondi thanked El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele for agreeing to extradite Abrego Garcia after presentation of an arrest warrant, enabling him to “face justice” in U.S. courts.