Support for LAist comes from
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Stay Connected
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Listen

Share This

News

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, wrongly deported to El Salvador, is back in the U.S. to face smuggling charges

A woman speaks into a microphone in front of a podium with other mics and a sign on it that reads "Bring Kilmar home." There are people behind her holding up signs that also read, "Wrongfully held in Trump's overseas ICE jail," and "I stand with Kimar Abrego Garcia."
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.
(
Jose Luis Magana
/
AP
)

With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive. 

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 man with medium skin tone wearing a checkered short sleeve shirt, speaks with Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a man with light skin tone wearing a blue suit, at a table in a restaurant.
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.
(
Press Office Senator Van Hollen
/
via AP
)

"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."

Support for LAist comes from

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.


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.
Copyright 2025 NPR

At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.

But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.

We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.

Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist