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Kilmar Abrego Garcia, wrongly deported to El Salvador, is back in the U.S. to face smuggling charges
Jennifer Vasquez Sura speaks during an April 4 news conference at CASA's Multicultural Center in Hyattsville, Md., after her husband, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, was mistakenly deported to El Salvador.
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Jose Luis Magana
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AP
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ABREGO GARCIA EN ROUTE TO US
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man the Trump administration wrongfully deported to El Salvador, is on his way back to the U.S., his lawyer tells NPR.
Abrego Garcia is expected to immediately face criminal charges in the U.S. for transporting migrants without legal status around the country, according to a Justice Department indictment filed in Tennessee. The indictment accuses Abrego Garcia "of conspiracy to unlawfully transport illegal aliens for financial gain" and "unlawful transportation of illegal aliens for financial gain."
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran citizen who was deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration, speaks with Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., in a hotel restaurant in San Salvador on April 17.
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Press Office Senator Van Hollen
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via AP
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"Now, after months of delay and secrecy, they're bringing him back, not to correct their error but to prosecute him. This shows that they were playing games with the court all along," Abrego Garcia's lawyer, Simon Sandoval Moshenberg, told NPR. "Due process means the chance to defend yourself before you're punished, not after. This is an abuse of power, not justice."
The case has become a bedrock for both the Trump administration and immigration advocates as the push to streamline deportations undercuts key elements of due process.
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Critics say it is the reason why more detainees are risking their lives to protest inhumane conditions and legal rights violations, in the form of widespread hunger strikes. -
Advocates say they are seeing delays in the scheduling of interviews and heightened scrutiny of applicants. -
The warrantless arrests have been a key feature of the government’s mass deportation efforts.
This is a breaking news story. Some things reported by the media may later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We will update as the situation develops.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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