Kilmer Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully deported to his native El Salvador in March before being brought back to the U.S. in June to face human trafficking charges, will now be allowed to return to his Maryland home, at least temporarily.
U.S. District Judge Paula Zinis, who was nominated by former President Barack Obama, said the Trump administration “has no legal basis to detain and remove” Abrego García and “his continued detention must end.”
A White House spokesperson told reporters that the Trump administration would appeal the decision, accusing Judge Zinis of “activism.”
Abrego Garcia’s attorney, Andrew Rossman, said the decision was “a victory not just for one individual in Maryland but for all” and thanked the court for “upholding due process and the rule of law.”
Abrego Garcia’s case is a major test of Trump’s immigration policies
Abrego García’s case has become a symbol of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown, as his legal fight highlights new deportation policies the administration intends to use.
The Trump administration has repeatedly claimed that Abrego García is a member of the Salvadoran gang known as MS-13 and should not be allowed to live in the US.
An immigration judge ruled in 2019 that he could not be deported to El Salvador because he was at risk from gang violence that had targeted his family.
When Abrego García was accidentally deported there in March, his case became a rallying point for those who oppose Trump’s immigration enforcement actions.
His family and lawyers deny that he has any gang ties.
Edited by: Roshni Majumdar
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