Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s Attorneys Claim He Isn’t a Flight Risk and Seek His Release

Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s attorneys are seeking his release from jail pending trial, arguing in a court filing that he has been denied due process for several months. Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident wrongfully deported to El Salvador, was returned to the United States last week to face federal charges related to human trafficking. His attorneys assert that the government has failed to meet legal standards for his detention, stating, “The government isn’t even entitled to a detention hearing in this case — much less detention. Mr. Abrego Garcia should be released.”

On March 12, Abrego Garcia was arrested in Maryland after the Department of Homeland Security labeled him a member of the gang MS-13, a claim he denied. Following this, he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, where he was imprisoned in a facility designated for terrorists, despite an immigration judge’s order against his deportation. A federal judge later mandated the Trump administration to expedite his return to the US, which government officials initially resisted. The situation escalated to the Supreme Court, where justices ruled that the Trump administration was required to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return.

Following this ruling, he was sent back to the United States last week to face charges in Tennessee related to a conspiracy to unlawfully transport undocumented migrants. The indictment outlines that Abrego Garcia, along with others, allegedly participated in transporting migrants from Central America through Mexico and into the United States. It alleges that he typically picked up undocumented individuals in Texas after they crossed the border. An arraignment and detention hearing are scheduled for Friday in Tennessee.

Meanwhile, Chris Newman, an attorney for Abrego Garcia’s family, condemned the Trump administration for its prior treatment of them, calling it a campaign of disinformation and defamation.