Kilmar Abrego Garcia entered the news in March 2025 after he was deported to El Salvador despite a court ruling that should have prevented it. His complicated legal fight since then has galvanized both sides of the debate over President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
There is a civil case in Maryland where the 30-year-old is challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s attempts to deport him again. There is also a criminal case in Tennessee, where the government accuses him of human smuggling. Finally, there is a petition in immigration court, where he hopes to pursue an asylum claim.
Here is a timeline of key events:
Arrival: around 2011
Abrego Garcia flees El Salvador for the U.S. as a teenager.
Arrest: March 28, 2019
Abrego Garcia is arrested outside a Maryland hardware store. Police accuse him of being a gang member and turn him over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Immigration court: Oct. 10, 2019
A Maryland immigration judge rules that Abrego Garcia cannot be deported to El Salvador, where a gang has threatened his family. He is given a work permit and placed under federal supervision.
Deportation: March 15, 2025
Abrego Garcia is mistakenly deported to El Salvador and held in a notoriously brutal prison.
Supreme Court: April 10, 2025
The U.S. Supreme Court says the Trump administration must work to bring Abrego Garcia back.
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Criminal charges: June 6, 2025
Abrego Garcia is unexpectedly returned to the U.S. and charged with human smuggling, based on a Tennessee traffic stop from 2022.
Attempts at second deportation: July 23, 2025—present
ICE announces plans to remove him to a series of African countries, but is blocked by an injunction from a Maryland federal judge.
Seeking asylum: Aug. 25, 2025
Abrego Garcia petitions to reopen his immigration case to pursue asylum in the United States.
Judge orders release: Dec. 11, 2025
A federal judge in Maryland orders ICE to immediately release Abrego Garcia while his legal challenge against his deportation proceeds.
