Photo: Alamy
Immigration officials intend to deport a Salvadoran man to Uganda after he declined a plea deal that would have kept him in jail but allowed him to relocate to Costa Rica, according to a Saturday court filing.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who faces human smuggling charges, was released from a Tennessee jail on Friday after refusing to extend his detention as part of the government’s offer. Hours later, the Department of Homeland Security notified his attorneys that he was expected to report to immigration authorities on Monday to begin deportation proceedings to Uganda.
The unusual development follows a controversial path for Abrego Garcia. Earlier this year, he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador. The Trump administration complied with a court order to return him to the United States in June, only to charge him weeks later with human smuggling.
The smuggling charges are from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee when Abrego Garcia was pulled over for speeding with nine passengers in his car. Officers let him go with a warning, but a Department of Homeland Security agent later launched an investigation.
Although he was eligible for pretrial release last month, Abrego Garcia remained in custody at the request of his legal team, who feared an immediate deportation attempt. A Maryland court recently ruled that ICE must provide 72 hours’ notice before initiating removal proceedings, a condition referenced in an ICE email sent Friday.
The U.S. has an agreement with Uganda to accept deportees who have no criminal records and are not unaccompanied minors. Federal officials maintain Abrego Garcia remains subject to deportation because he entered the United States illegally and an immigration judge ruled in 2019 that he could be removed, though not to El Salvador.
His attorneys have filed a motion to dismiss the case, contending that the charges and deportation efforts were punishment for challenging his earlier expulsion. He has pleaded not guilty.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem referred to Abrego’s Friday release as “a new low.”
“By ordering this monster loose on America’s streets, this judge has shown a complete disregard for the safety of the American people. We will not stop fighting till this Salvadoran man faces justice and is OUT of our country,” she posted to X.