Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 30-year-old Salvadoran who became a symbol of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policies, is seeking asylum in the United States to avoid deportation to Uganda.
His case has sparked significant controversy, highlighting tensions over due process in immigration enforcement.
After being wrongfully deported to El Salvador in March, despite a 2019 court order prohibiting his removal to that country, Abrego Garcia was returned to the US in June to face human smuggling charges, which he denies.
Now, detained again by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Baltimore, his legal team is fighting to prevent his deportation to a country with which he has no ties.
Abrego Garcia’s attorneys argue that deporting him to Uganda is retaliatory, citing his refusal to plead guilty to human smuggling charges stemming from a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop where no charges were filed at the time.
The Trump administration has accused him of ties to the MS-13 gang, pointing to his clothing and tattoos as evidence, claims he and his lawyers vehemently deny.
A federal judge in Maryland, Paula Xinis, has temporarily blocked his deportation, ensuring he can challenge the move in court.
His legal team has described the administration’s actions as “vindictive and selective prosecution” aimed at punishing him for contesting his earlier unlawful deportation.
The Trump administration initially called Abrego Garcia’s March deportation to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison an “administrative error,” admitting it violated a 2019 court order protecting him from removal due to fears of gang violence.
Despite this, the administration later resisted returning him until a Supreme Court order compelled action.
Now, facing potential deportation to Uganda, Abrego Garcia’s case underscores broader concerns about the administration’s immigration tactics, including the use of third-country deportations and allegations of bypassing due process.
His lawyers argue he has a right to seek asylum and contest his removal, with hearings scheduled for October to determine his fate.