A federal judge has ordered the U.S. government to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who was wrongly deported to El Salvador in March, calling the action illegal and a violation of his rights.
Judge Paula Xinis ruled that Abrego Garcia’s removal violated the Immigration and Nationality Act and denied him due process. The 29-year-old had previously been granted protection from deportation in 2019 after proving he faced danger from gangs in El Salvador. Despite holding a valid work permit and having no criminal record, he was mistakenly deported and has since been held in the country’s high-security terrorism detention center.
The Department of Homeland Security admitted the deportation was an “administrative error,” but still alleges—without firm evidence—that Abrego Garcia has ties to the MS-13 gang. His legal team strongly denies the claim and argues the government has failed to back it up.
His wife, a U.S. citizen, has been leading efforts to secure his return, describing the ordeal as traumatic and unjust. The Trump administration has indicated plans to appeal the ruling, though the judge has ordered Abrego Garcia be brought back to the U.S. by April 7.
The case has drawn national attention and raised serious concerns over due process and the handling of protected immigration cases under current U.S. policy.
