Legal Battle Intensifies Over Immigrant's Deportation Amid Human Trafficking Charges

Legal Battle Intensifies Over Immigrant’s Deportation Amid Human Trafficking Charges

Supporters of Kilmar Ábrego García gathered outside the federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, on Monday, July 7, 2025, where a hearing regarding his possible return to the state was scheduled. A federal judge in Maryland has prohibited the Trump administration from taking Ábrego García into immediate immigration custody if he is released from jail in Tennessee while awaiting trial on human trafficking charges.

Judge Paula Xinis ordered the government to provide a three-business-day notice if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intends to initiate deportation proceedings against the Maryland construction worker. Additionally, the judge mandated the restoration of the federal supervision that Ábrego García was under before his wrongful deportation to El Salvador in March. This supervision had allowed him to live and work in Maryland for years while reporting periodically to ICE.

Ábrego García has become a prominent figure in the debate surrounding the Trump administration’s immigration policies following his erroneous deportation to El Salvador, which violated an immigration judge’s order from 2019 that protected him from deportation due to potential threats from gang violence in his home country.

The human trafficking case against Ábrego García stems from a traffic stop in 2022 for speeding, during which he was driving a vehicle with nine passengers. Though officers in Tennessee suspected human trafficking, they allowed him to continue driving. U.S. officials have stated their intention to deport Ábrego García to a country other than El Salvador, such as Mexico or South Sudan, before his trial in January, arguing that he poses a danger to the community.

A federal judge in Tennessee has been deliberating on whether to release Ábrego García before his trial, raising concerns among his attorneys about a potential rapid deportation by ICE. To preempt this possibility, his lawyers requested the Maryland judge to order the government to bring him to Maryland for his trial. Failing that, they sought at least 72 hours’ notice if ICE plans to deport him.

Ábrego García’s American wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, is suing the Trump administration in Judge Xinis’s court over his wrongful deportation in March and is trying to prevent any further expulsions. U.S. officials have contended that Ábrego García may be deported because he entered the country illegally around 2011 and was deemed eligible for expulsion by an immigration judge in 2019, although not to El Salvador.

After the 2019 immigration judge’s ruling, Ábrego García was released under federal supervision, granted federal work authorization, and reported to ICE annually, according to his attorneys. Recently, the Trump administration stated in court filings that they revoked his supervised release upon classifying him as a member of the MS-13 gang, which contributed to his deportation in March.

This ongoing legal battle highlights the complexities and challenges faced by immigrants navigating the U.S. legal system, particularly under the scrutiny of strict immigration policies. It also underscores the importance of due process and the protection of vulnerable individuals from wrongful deportation.

Popular Categories


Search the website