Kilmar Abrego Garcia: Wrongfully Deported, Still in ICE Detention

Kilmar Abrego Garcia eṃōj an bar jeplaakḷọk ñan jikin kalbuuj eo an ICE ejja ilo tōrein wōt administration eo an Trump ej wōnṃaanḷọk wōt im kōṃṃane jerbal ko rej kwaḷọk im kemlet bwe aolep ri likin rej “criminal aliens” (armej nana ro jān likin).

Kilmar eaar 16 an iiō ke ej ko jān El Salvador kōn doulul in gang ko an ri nana ro, ro rej booj e (extortion) ñan kōṃṃan jorāān, im ro rej kamijake kōn mij. Likao eo jein im raar bar kōṃṃan āndein ñane ṃoktaḷọk eṃōj an kiiō erom juon U.S citizen. Eṃōj an mare im ewōr juon nejin ḷaddik im bar ruo nejin lio ippan (step children). Ilo 2019 eo, ri ekajet eo ear jab kōtḷọk ñane kajjitōk eo an bwe kien eo an Amedka en jab kōrọọle bōtaap jipañ kōjparok e ilo an pād Amedka in (asylum), ijo wōt ke ri ekajet in eaar kōtḷọk bwe en erom juon U.S citizen eo emaroñ jokwe im jerbal ilo Amedka kōn un ko renaaj rejelet mour eo an ñe enaaj jeplaakḷọk ñan El Salvador.

Ilo kar March 2025 eo, ri jerbal ro an ICE raar bōke im kalbuuji Kilmar jān Home Depot ilo Maryland im jilkinḷọk ñan jikin kalbuuj eo eḷap an CECOT ilo El Salvador ilo wāwein eo ebōd im ejjab jiṃwe. Administration eo an Trump eaar kwaḷọk bwe menin ej bōd in jerbal bōtaap raar jab kwaḷọk im kalikkar etke raar bar kōṃṃan ejja jekjek in wōt ñan buki jima armej rein im raar jilkin ḷọk er ñan ejja jikin kalbuuj in wōt ilo ejjeḷọk meḷeḷe im un ko bwe ren pād ilo kalbuuj in. Meñe Supreme Court eo eaar jiroñḷọk kien eo bwe en bar kōjeplaak ḷọk Kilmar, eaar pād wōt im kalbuuj ilo El Salvador iuṃwin elōñ allōñ. Ilo allōñ in Juun eo raar bar kpjeplaak tok ñan Amedka in bōtap raar bar lo ruwōn ilo Tennessee. Im ilo Friday eo ej jeṃḷọk ḷọk, eaar diwōj jān kalbuuj im rọọl ippān baaṃle in an im ālkin jejjo raan ippān baaṃle in an, rein jān ICE raar bar kalbuuji ilo Monday eo ilo opij in an immigration ilo Baltimore.

Ilo tōrein ej ICE rein raar kalbuuj ilo jikin kalbuuj ko ilo Virginia. Rej barāinwōt leḷọk kamijak ko ñane ikijjien aer naj jilkinḷọke (deport) ñan Uganda im jab ñan ijo ej kelet bwe en tal ñan Costa Rica. Lawyer ro an raar kōṃṃan aer aitwerōk im iakwelel ko bwe kaje in rej kōṃṃane ekalijōkḷọk, un eo kōn wōt an likao in kōjerbal maroñ im jiṃwe kein an. Judge Xinis eaar ba bwe ejjab maroñ kōrọọle (deport) ilo tōrein.

Ilo tarlep in aer kōṃṃane etale in an, eṃōj an kien kōllajrak/likūt e āinwōt juon eo ej ṃōttan doulul in ro rej kōṃṃan jorrāān (gang) im barāinwōt ro rej wia kake armej (human trafficker). Armej rein rej jokwe turin likao in raar ba bwe eḷap aer lukkun ilbōk ke rej kalbuuji, raar kwaḷọk aer ñan bwe armej in ej juon eo ejjeḷọk an naan, eo etiljek im kūttare ilo jerbal, im eo eḷap an kōmaat ḷọk an ñan baaṃle eo an. Kōrā eo karejeran eaar lukkun jañ ilo an atbokoje ṃokta jān an rein jān ICE bar bōke.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia is yet again in ICE detention as the Trump administration continues to try to prove they are keeping America safe from “criminal aliens.” Kilmar came to the United States from El Salvador when he was 16 years old escaping gang violence, extortion and threats of death. His brother, who was first targeted by gang violence, has since become a U.S. citizen. Under previous ICE detention, in 2019, Kilmar’s application for asylum was denied because asylum applications must be submitted within one year of one’s arrival in the United States. The standards of evidence in US immigration hearings are lower than in trials: the government’s claims are assumed to be true, and the defendent must prove their innocence. Kilmar, however, was granted a “withholding of removal” status barring deportation to El Salvador because he would face “clear probability of future persecution.” Withholding of removal is “similar to asylum” but it does not preclude potential deportation to a third country. Under this status, Kilmar was allowed to live and work lawfully in the US indefinitely.

In March of 2025, Kilmar was arrested by ICE from a Home Depot in Maryland and wrongfully deported to a mega prison in El Salvador. The Trump administration has since admitted that it was an administrative error. However, Kilmar remained in prison in El Salvador for several more months despite a Supreme Court ruling that the federal government must facilitate his return. He returned in June of 2025 to face new charges for human trafficking in Tennessee. After a couple days home with his family, Kilmar was again arrested by ICE on Monday morning at a scheduled immigration interview in Baltimore. He is currently being held at a detention center in Virginia, where he is again facing deportation. This time, the government has threatened to deport him to Uganda even though he elected deportation to Costa Rica.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, who has been overseeing his deportation case, said at a habeas hearing Monday afternoon that the federal government is “absolutely forbidden” from deporting him for the time being.

Abrego Garcia’s lawyers filed a habeas lawsuit filed accusing the federal government of taking him into custody without due process:

“Respondents are seeking to remove Petitioner to Uganda — a process which they know will trigger lengthy legal proceedings — rather than Costa Rica — the country for removal designated by Petitioner that offered him resettlement — in order to punish him for his constitutionally protected activity,” the attorneys said in the filing.

“In so doing, Respondents know and intend for Petitioner to be detained by ICE for a lengthy period of time, even though a removal to Costa Rica could be effectuated with little or no ICE detention at all, and Respondents seek to use ICE detention to punish Petitioner,” the filing states.

The Trump administration continues to characterize every single detainee and deported individual as a criminal. They have called Kilmar everything from a gang member, a wife beater, a human smuggler and a monster. But, news reporters quoted a neighbor who said she was shocked when he was picked up in March because he had “appeared to work hard and keep to himself”. He clearly is loved by his family, as his wife tearfully hugged him before he was again arrested by ICE.