A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to secure the release of Abrego García, a 29-year-old man who was wrongly deported to El Salvador last month. García’s lawyers argued that he is at imminent risk of death in the country and that his detention is unconstitutional.
The Trump administration immediately appealed the decision, citing an “administrative error” that led to García’s deportation. However, federal court records show that the government was aware of an immigration judge’s prior order barring García’s removal from El Salvador.
García, who arrived in the US around 2011, was stopped by police while driving with his 5-year-old autistic son in the back seat. His lawyers claim that he has no criminal record and that his detention is based on false allegations of gang membership.
An immigration judge had previously ruled that García faced multiple death threats from gangs and ordered him released in 2019 with a humanitarian protection called “withholding of removal.” The government did not appeal this decision, but instead deported García to El Salvador despite the court’s order.
García’s supporters say that his return will require coordination with the Salvadoran government, which further complicates the situation. They are now seeking to have him released from detention and returned to the US.
The case has tapped into worries over the Trump administration’s more aggressive efforts to detain or deport immigrants, including those with temporary protected status, student visas, or even green cards permitting them to reside in the US.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/04/04/judge-orders-trump-administration-bring-back-md-man-mistakenly-deported