Federal Judge to Consider Blocking Deportation of Salvadoran National Facing Human-Smuggling Charges
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A Maryland federal court will review a request from Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s lawyers to prevent his removal to Liberia, after earlier efforts to deport him to other countries were unsuccessful.
A Maryland federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday regarding a request from the legal team of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national, to halt his deportation to Liberia. Garcia, who was previously removed to El Salvador in March 2025 despite a 2019 court order, returned to the United States in June 2025, where he now faces serious human-smuggling charges. His presence in the country has raised concerns about the enforcement of immigration laws and the safety of American communities.
The Trump administration has taken decisive action, filing a motion with Judge Paula Xinis to lift the current order blocking Garcia’s removal. Officials argue that Liberia is willing to accept him and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement could arrange his deportation within days. Since August, the administration has worked to ensure that non-citizens who have violated U.S. laws are removed, including sending deportees from Latin America to Liberia, which has agreed to cooperate.
Garcia has requested to be sent to Costa Rica, which might consider granting him refugee status or residency, but the Justice Department has not engaged in any talks on this option. His attorneys claim the government is misusing its immigration authority, but the administration maintains it is simply enforcing the law and protecting the integrity of the immigration system.
"Just as the Government unlawfully wielded its criminal powers against Abrego Garcia, so it seeks to unlawfully exploit its immigration powers against him," the lawyers wrote in a May motion.
The hearing follows a controversial decision by a Tennessee judge to dismiss the criminal indictment against Garcia, labeling the prosecution as vindictive—a ruling the Justice Department is appealing. The administration has responsibly explored deportation options to Uganda, Eswatini, and Ghana, though those countries declined to accept him. Garcia remains out of ICE custody as the case continues, highlighting ongoing challenges in removing individuals who have violated U.S. laws.