US Judge Orders Release of Wrongfully Deported Immigrant After Trump Administration's 'Judicial Activism'
A Maryland resident who was wrongfully deported by the Trump administration to El Salvador may finally be heading back home. On Thursday, US District Judge Paula Xinis ordered the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from immigration detention, citing the administration's "judicial activism" and a blatant disregard for his rights.
Abrego Garcia's case has become a rallying point against President Trump's hardline policies on immigration. In March 2023, he was deported to El Salvador despite having an asylum claim pending in court. However, authorities later returned him to the US, only to re-detain him again without lawful authority.
The judge's decision comes after Abrego Garcia filed a lawsuit claiming the Trump administration is using the deportation process to punish him due to the attention his wrongful deportation received. The Department of Homeland Security has condemned the ruling, calling it "judicial activism" and vowing to continue fighting the order in court.
Abrego Garcia entered the US as a teenager without documentation and has resided in Maryland with his wife and children for years. An immigration judge in 2019 ruled that he could not be deported to El Salvador due to danger from a gang targeting his family. The Trump administration's subsequent decision to deport him to a series of African countries was met with criticism.
The case has sparked controversy, with federal authorities filing charges against Abrego Garcia for alleged human smuggling related to a 2022 traffic stop. He has pleaded not guilty and filed a motion to dismiss the charges, claiming they are vindictive.
In her ruling, Judge Xinis stated that Trump lawyers "affirmatively misled" the court, including falsely claiming that Costa Rica had rescinded an offer to accept Abrego Garcia. The judge also cited evidence showing that Costa Rica had never wavered in its commitment to receive Abrego Garcia.
Abrego Garcia has been vocal about his desire to resettle in Costa Rica, but Judge Xinis's decision may put him on a path towards asylum in the US. His case highlights concerns over the Trump administration's immigration policies and the need for greater protections for immigrants facing deportation.
A Maryland resident who was wrongfully deported by the Trump administration to El Salvador may finally be heading back home. On Thursday, US District Judge Paula Xinis ordered the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from immigration detention, citing the administration's "judicial activism" and a blatant disregard for his rights.
Abrego Garcia's case has become a rallying point against President Trump's hardline policies on immigration. In March 2023, he was deported to El Salvador despite having an asylum claim pending in court. However, authorities later returned him to the US, only to re-detain him again without lawful authority.
The judge's decision comes after Abrego Garcia filed a lawsuit claiming the Trump administration is using the deportation process to punish him due to the attention his wrongful deportation received. The Department of Homeland Security has condemned the ruling, calling it "judicial activism" and vowing to continue fighting the order in court.
Abrego Garcia entered the US as a teenager without documentation and has resided in Maryland with his wife and children for years. An immigration judge in 2019 ruled that he could not be deported to El Salvador due to danger from a gang targeting his family. The Trump administration's subsequent decision to deport him to a series of African countries was met with criticism.
The case has sparked controversy, with federal authorities filing charges against Abrego Garcia for alleged human smuggling related to a 2022 traffic stop. He has pleaded not guilty and filed a motion to dismiss the charges, claiming they are vindictive.
In her ruling, Judge Xinis stated that Trump lawyers "affirmatively misled" the court, including falsely claiming that Costa Rica had rescinded an offer to accept Abrego Garcia. The judge also cited evidence showing that Costa Rica had never wavered in its commitment to receive Abrego Garcia.
Abrego Garcia has been vocal about his desire to resettle in Costa Rica, but Judge Xinis's decision may put him on a path towards asylum in the US. His case highlights concerns over the Trump administration's immigration policies and the need for greater protections for immigrants facing deportation.
I'm glad to see justice being served for Kilmar Abrego Garcia, but it makes me think of all those people who got caught up in the whole "zero tolerance" thing back in 2018 
. Remember when everyone was talking about separating families at the border? It's crazy how quickly things can change, right? Anyway, this case just shows that even with a new administration, some of the same problems still exist. I mean, who needs "judicial activism" when you've got an asylum claim pending and a family to support? 
The Trump admin's attempts to punish him for speaking out are just another example of how misguided their policies were. And now that he might be resettling in the US, I wonder if we'll ever see real change? 
And now, the Trump admin is trying to spin this as "judicial activism" – yeah, because that's totally not a way to distract from their own mistakes 
.
.
i went to one of their new cafes yesterday and it was SO good! they use this special green tea powder that gives it this super refreshing taste 
i'm kinda obsessed now lol anyway, back to the news... this guy's case is really messed up 
what do u think about the whole judicial activism thing? sounds like some serious shady stuff going on 
. Abrego Garcia didn't do anything wrong, he's been living in Maryland with his family for years 
. If they want to fix their immigration policies, they need to start by fixing the mistakes of people like him 
. The fact that they're filing charges against him just shows they don't care about doing what's right 
.
... like, can't believe they treated Kilmar Abrego Garcia this way... wrongful deportation, re-detention without no reason... what kinda judicial activism is that? 
The fact that he was in a gang back then and his wife & kids were targeted by the same gang, so deporting him to El Salvador was crazy talk... 
... hope Kilmar Abrego Garcia gets back home safely, and those Trump people get held accountable for their actions 
But I guess Judge Xinis is like "nope, not buying it" and is giving him a second chance 
. It's like, we gotta be careful with our immigration laws so people don't get messed up like this 
. And now he might end up in asylum... that's wild 
.
.
he's been through so much already, it's crazy that he was deported in the first place and then sent back to detention 
and Abrego Garcia's case is literally proof of that. it's so frustrating that he's been through all this because of something that was initially in his favor - he had asylum claims pending. now he might actually be able to stay in the US because of it? 
how can they just deport someone wrongfully and then go back on it?! Abrego Garcia's story is literally heartbreaking - he's been through so much because of his immigration status, and now we're seeing justice being served 
. I'm all for a second chance, you know? he's already been in the US for years with a family, what more do they want from him?! 
. this case is like, super important for immigration reform - we need better protections for people facing deportation! 
. It's crazy!