By Emily Herr

The Scoop Digital Newspaper: June 2025

WASHINGTON D.C. – The complex and highly publicized legal saga surrounding Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man whose prior deportation was deemed an “administrative error,” has taken a new turn. The Trump administration has indicated its intention to initiate removal proceedings to deport Abrego Garcia to a “third country” rather than his native El Salvador, once he is released from federal custody.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been at the center of a protracted legal battle that escalated dramatically in March 2025 when he was deported to El Salvador, despite a 2019 immigration judge’s order that barred his removal to his home country due to a credible fear of persecution from gangs. This deportation sparked widespread outcry and a lawsuit filed by his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, in Maryland federal court. Facing mounting pressure, including a Supreme Court order, the administration facilitated his return to the U.S. in early June.

Upon his return, however, Abrego Garcia was immediately jailed on federal human smuggling charges in Tennessee. He has pleaded not guilty to these charges, which his attorneys have characterized as an attempt by the administration to justify his mistaken expulsion.

At a hearing in Maryland federal court on Thursday, June 26, 2025, Justice Department attorney Jonathan Guynn informed U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis that once Abrego Garcia is released from his current detention in Tennessee, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to take him into custody and begin removal proceedings. Guynn clarified that the deportation would be to a “third country” and not El Salvador, respecting the 2019 court order. However, he did not provide a specific timeline for these potential new deportation plans, stating there were “no imminent plans” for removal.

A Tennessee judge had recently ruled that Abrego Garcia has a right to be released pretrial on the smuggling charges but hesitated to order his immediate release due to concerns that immigration officials might swiftly detain him again and attempt another deportation before his criminal trial. Prosecutors in the smuggling case have argued that if Abrego Garcia were released and then immediately picked up by ICE for deportation, it would hinder their ability to prosecute the federal charges against him.

Abrego Garcia’s legal team, in turn, filed an emergency request with Judge Xinis in Maryland, asking her to order his return to Maryland upon release from Tennessee. This measure, they argue, would prevent a swift, unmonitored deportation and ensure he can participate in his ongoing legal challenges. They expressed concerns that the government might try to “whisk” him away quickly. Judge Xinis has scheduled a hearing for July 7 to review these arguments, as well as the government’s motion to dismiss Abrego Garcia’s civil lawsuit over his initial deportation.

The complex interplay between the federal criminal charges and the immigration proceedings underscores the broader implications of the administration’s immigration enforcement policies. The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia continues to be a focal point, illustrating the significant legal and human rights challenges arising from the intersection of national security claims and individual protections under U.S. immigration law.

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The Scoop Digital Newspaper
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